The Bia-West District of the Western Region, a cocoa growing area sharing borders with La Cote d’ Ivoire, is battling with the migration of bats from the neighbouring country into the district.

The influx of the bats are causing nuisance to the people with the most affected towns and villages being Oseikojokrom, Yamatwa and Pillar One, Mr Kwabena Tweneboah-Kodua, the District Chief Executive (DCE), told a general meeting of the Western Regional Coordinating Council, at Sekondi.

He said the authorities of Cote d’ Ivoire had embarked on a mass spraying of bats in that country forcing them to fly in their numbers to the District.

Mr Tweneboah-Kodua said though the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) had been informed, the Government’s direct intervention would hasten the solution of the problem.

On other matters, the DCE also complained that illegal miners were venturing into the fertile district of the area with their activities popularly known as “galamsey” in the Bia River.

 But upon a tip-off, the District Security Committee moved swiftly to the scene of operation, and seized all their apparatus even though the offenders bolted.

He said DISEC was monitoring illegal activities and movements to apprehend the culprits and called on the communities to endeavor to report strange activities in the area.

The DCEs at the meeting appealed to institutions and non-governmental organisations to collaborate with their respective local assemblies when they wished to embark on projects in their areas.

They said the assemblies would be in a position to direct the appropriate area for specific projects to avoid the demolition of unauthorized structures or other unfortunate situations.

The MMDCEs expressed discontent that while the Mineral Commission had issued licenses for prospecting minerals, the government through the MMDAs, had to pay compensation in the event of flouting of regulations such as destruction of property in the areas of operation.

They, therefore, called for the review of the Minerals Law that would take care of unforeseen circumstances.