Samreboi: Mr Joseph Nelson, the Western Regional Minister, has attributed the recent flood that has devastated Samreboi and its surrounding communities in the Wassa Amenfi West Municipality to illegal mining (galamsey) along the Tano and Samre Rivers.
According to Ghana News Agency, galamsey activities had degraded the riverbanks, stripped the land of its natural protection, and choked the rivers with silt. The channels of the rivers had been narrowed, diminishing their capacity to hold water. Since Monday, June 15, 2026, over 200 houses across Aboi, Cocoase, Popolozzo, Nsuo Akyir, and Roman Hill, all communities in Samreboi, have been submerged by floodwaters after a heavy downpour, with about 26 buildings collapsing entirely. Residents have also been displaced following the incident.
Mr Nelson, during a visit to assess the state of devastation in the area, emphasized that human activities, particularly illegal mining on the Tano and Samre river bodies, were the major cause of the week-long flooding in the community. He remarked, "The rivers have been overflowing every year during heavy downpours and has never caused a flooding of this magnitude before, but this year because of galamsey look at what we are experiencing."
The Western Regional Minister urged the residents to take a firm stand against galamsey, encouraging them to speak up against such activities as a long-term measure to curb future flood issues. He stated, "For the long-term solution, we will need everybody to come on board because it is not going to take the efforts of the government alone to fight the galamsey menace especially on water bodies."
Meanwhile, Mr Nelson assured that the government would provide some temporary relief for the affected individuals while planning long-term solutions to address the situation. He was accompanied by the Western Central Regional Police Commander, the Western Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation, members of the Amenfi West Municipal Security Council, and the Municipal Chief Executive.