A Member of the Small-Scale Miners Association, Benjamin Mensah, has alleged that members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) have taken over illegal mining in the country after chasing out ordinary Ghanaians.
Consequently, he explains, the fight against the canker, also known as ‘galamsey’ is doomed to failure.
“The small-scale miners have left, but those doing galamsey are still there because of the people involved, the soldiers cannot do anything about it,” he said.
The revelation comes just weeks after the government deployed some 200 soldiers to illegal mining activities across the country and to end illegal mining and protect the water bodies which have been soiled as a result of galamsey.
The operation commenced on Wednesday, April 28th, 2021, on the River Pra in the Central and Western regions of Ghana.
However, speaking on Atinka TV’s morning show, Ghana Nie, Mr. Mensa confirmed reports that NPP big men have for instance taken over galamsey in the Gyakubo area.
“We, the Small-Scale Miners, working with Vanguard formed a taskforce to help fight the galamsey. We heard some people were mining illegally at Gyakubo area and the task force went there to stop them but they were told that particular site belonged to some NPP members,” he said.
In the matter of NPP big men doing galamsey at Gyakubo, he said, “These are some of the things that are making us suffer, even Kennedy Agyapong accused Nana B of doing galamsey. With all the galamsey going on in Ghana, it is the NPP big men that are doing it.”
On Tuesday, May 4, 2021, some 20 National Security operatives were arrested by angry townspeople for illegal mining in the Atewa forest reserve.