But, the chiefs and people of the predominantly farming community along the Ghana Cote d'Ivoire boder have vowed to resist any mining activity either legal or illegal in the area. According to the people who are mainly engaged in cashew and cocoa farming in commercial quantities, they were ready to fight any mining company that would move to the area to mine.

They gave the warning in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Atuna during a visit to the border town. The GNA was in the area to ascertain the truth regarding alleged illegal mining activities going on in the town which had destroyed water bodies as well as large cashew and cocoa plantations.

But it was revealed during the visit that all the allegations were false, as no illegal mining activity had been or was currently undertaken in the town.  Rather, residents confirmed that gold prospecting had been done and some small scale mining companies had expressed interest to mine in the area.

Nana Patrick Koosono, the head of the Krontri family of Atuna and spokesman for the community observed that adverse effects on mining outweighed the benefits and it would be disastrous if the people allowed any mining activity to be done in the area.

He said Atuna and its adjoining ccommunities produced 5,000 bags of cocoa and 3,000 bags of cashew in every crop season and the people would no sit unconcern for miners to destroy their farms. Nana Koosono appealed to the Brong-Ahafo Regional Security Council to be proactive and act swiftly in addressing the problem before something unexpected happened.

"Families solely depend on cocoa and cashew for their survival and the unborn generation would not spare us if especially we the chiefs allowed the miners to raid our lands", he added.

Meanwhile, the Atuna river, a source of drinking water for the people had dried up. The people appealed to government, NGOs and philanthropists to construct boreholes to address the water problem in the area.   They also appealed for the tarring of the main Atuna road to facilitate movement of the people.