TIG Post

Tag: illegal Mining

  • Prof Frimpong-Boateng wanted to go into mining himself – CHRAJ Boss

    Prof Frimpong-Boateng wanted to go into mining himself – CHRAJ Boss

    Commissioner of CHRAJ, Joseph Whittal, has disclosed that former Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, had intentions of going into mining. 

    Speaking in an interview, he explained that the Professor had genuine (legal) concessions for the extraction of minerals, however, he was unable to operate at the sites due to community violence. 

    “We investigated allegations made against Prof Frimpong-Boateng. We went in and did a very thorough investigation, came out with our report, a 116-page report, and the offshoot is that he was not involved in any illegal mining concessions,” he said in an interview with TV3 on Tuesday, April 25. 

    “He had genuine concessions which he had difficulties even starting because of community violence against his company.”

    This follows allegations made against the Professor to the effect that he is involved in illegal mining, which also follow an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) report he authored.  

    The said report indicts a number of government officials including Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, a former Presidential Staffer, Charles Bissue, NPP Stalwart, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko as either being involved in illegal mining popularly known as galamsey or interfering in the fight against illegal mining. 

    “Throughout our struggle with illegalities in the small-scale mining sector, what baffled me was the total disregard of the President’s commitment to protecting the environment.

    “I can state without any equivocation that many party officials from the national to the unit committee level had their friends, PAs, agents, relatives, financiers, or relatives engaged in illegal mining. Most of them engaged Chinese working for them. 

    “I am not referring to party people who had their legitimate concession and were mining sustainably as they were instructed to do.

    “There are appointees in the Jubilee House that are doing or supporting illegal mining or interfering with the fight against the menace,” excerpts of the document said.

    Professor Frimpong also accused a former NPP MP in the Ashanti Region of selling illegally acquired concessions at GH¢200,000 each.

    According to him, this infuriated the party in the constituency so during the 2020 primaries to select a candidate the electorate voted against NPP MP, the then sitting MP, who had more resources than other candidates. 

    However, some of the persons mentioned in the report have denied the claims. Following the release of the report, Charles Bissue, who is the Former Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) accused Prof Frimpong Boateng’s associates of engaging in galamsey.

    According to Mr Bissue, a number of them including Francis Owusu Achiaw, Mike Gizo and Kwabena Boakye, are all involved in galamsey.

    “I am also disappointed in Prof Frimpong Boateng to the extent that he has people around him who were doing the same thing [illegal mining],” he said in an interview on JoyNews.

    He said Prof Boateng has not been consistent and truthful to Ghanaians; explaining that the former Minister was not factual in his reportage on the missing excavators.

    “At the time he said 500 excavators were missing, I called him and I said Prof that is not factual. You have actually sent about three reports to the National Security Council and the report that you sent reported that we do not have up to even 300 excavators so why 500?

    “I called him and he said he knew what he was doing and then three or four years down the line, you come back to say that no excavators were missing.”

  • Man accuses Former Nkwanta MP of selling mining concession to him

    Man accuses Former Nkwanta MP of selling mining concession to him

    A man, Agya Owusu, whose mining equipment were burnt has alleged that Joseph Albert Quarm, a former member of parliament for Nkwanta, sold to him an unlawful mining site concession.

    According to Agya Owusu, soldiers came to stop him from mining and burnt his mining equipment; saying that his concession was illegal because it was close to a river.

    Speaking to the media at the mining site in a viral video sighted by GhanaWeb, Agya Owusu said that he informed Albert Quarm of what transpired but the former MP has done nothing to help him up to date.

    He added that he sent the documents on the mining concession to Accra for authentication after which he will decide on the action to take against the former MP.

    “One of the soldiers told me that having a concession close to a river is illegal so they had to burn my equipment.

    “I called the person who sold me the land to inform him of what has transpired but up to date he has said nothing meaningful for me, he has not even said sorry.

    “The person who sold the concession to me is the former MP, Prof Quarm,” he said in Twi.

    Background

    A former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Prof Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, named some former and current members of parliament as well as top government officials who are allegedly involved in illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) in Ghana.

    Portions of a report on illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) in Ghana by Prof Frimpong Boateng, indicated that these MPs and government officials were either directly involved in galamsey or were using their power to protect relatives who were involved in the menace.

    The 36-page report, which Prof Frimpong addressed to the Chief of Staff and the Ghana Police Service, according to myjoyonline.com, implicated the former MP for Manso Nkwanta, Joseph Albert Quarm.

    “He (the former NPP MP) used his position as a member of the Minerals Commission to acquire several dozens of large-scale concessions in his district, ostensibly for community mining purposes. He ended up selling these concessions to private individuals, including party members for GH¢200,000 per concession.

    Joseph Albert Quarm has, however, firmly refuted the claims made by Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.

    Speaking with Aduanaba Kofi Ampong on Ezra Morning show on Friday, monitored by GhanaWeb, Quarm called out the claims by Frimpong Boateng’s report as mere false accusations that seek to tarnish his image.

    According to him, the Minerals Commission and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources legally established community mining in his constituency and he doesn’t know if that was what Frimpong Boateng’s report has captured as illegal operations by him.

    “I don’t even have one concession not even to talk of dozen concessions sold by me, as stated in his report. He doesn’t have any substantive evidence on his statement so I’m challenging him to come out with evidence,” Quarm said,

    “I do expect him to retract and apologize over his false reportage that seeks to denigrate my reputation, else he will have to meet in court to prove otherwise,” he added.

  • Govt’s fight against galamsey is fraud – Ato Forson

    Govt’s fight against galamsey is fraud – Ato Forson

    The minority leader in parliament, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has stated that the government’s efforts to combat illegal mining (galamsey), are mocked by the former chairman of the disbanded Inter-ministerial Committee against Illegal Mining, Prof. Frimpong Boateng’s, report.

    In a Facebook post, Dr. Forson said the revelation by Prof. Frimpong is strongly indicative that the galamsey fight was nothing but a charade. He plainly describes it as fraudulent.

    “Prof. Frimpong-Boateng’s report to the President on failed work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, which was set up by President Akufo-Addo to fight the illegal mining menace, confirms that the whole fight was a fraudulent one”, he wrote.

    The report authored by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng also a former Minister of Environment in March 2021 and handed over to the Chief of Staff cited a number of top officials in the Akufo-Addo government accused of either being engaged in galamsey or interfered in the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining.

    The Presidency in a rejoinder argued that despite the serious allegations Prof. Frimpong-Boateng made against some government appointees, not a single piece of evidence was adduced or presented to enable the claims to be properly investigated.

    It insists that the report was based on hearsay. But Dr. Ato Forson says, government’s action so far is a tacit endorsement of its corrupt appointees.

    “It was shrouded in a well-calculated ruse to enable key government officials and functionaries at the Presidency to dabble in the very illicit business of galamsey.”

    Meanwhile, the Minority leader is pushing for a full-scale investigation into the revelations.

    “The revealing issues and several others in the damning report call for a national probe”, he added.


  • It is normal for people in high positions to deny allegations – Prof Frimpong-Boateng to Oppong Nkrumah

    It is normal for people in high positions to deny allegations – Prof Frimpong-Boateng to Oppong Nkrumah

    Former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has responded to the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, regarding the latter’s reply to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining’s (IMCIM) 2021 report on illegal mining.
    According to the report, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah was named as one of the government officials involved in the increasing problem of illegal mining in several forest areas across the country.
    It alleged that he Mr Oppong-Nkrumah had engaged the services of unnamed journalists to issue reports aimed at damaging Prof Frimpong-Boateng’s reputation and discrediting his work as the chairman of the IMCIM.
    In response to the report, Oppong-Nkrumah denied the allegations, describing them as false. He expressed disappointment and offence at the accusations made against him.
    “I have had nothing but great admiration for Prof Boateng’s public-spirited works and as an inspirational citizen. I feel gravely offended over the false claims he has made and the hurtful conclusions he has sought to exact about me precisely because of the great esteem in which I have held him,” he said.
    Frimpong-Boateng, after seeing this, decided to respond by saying that it was normal for people in high positions in government to deny allegations, and that he had good advice to offer Oppong-Nkrumah.
    “When I was part of the government, we were colleagues, and I related to you as such. Now I will advise you as my son, just as I do my children. After all, you are the same age as my fourth-born son. When I returned to Ghana from Germany to start the cardiothoracic project, you were just six years old as my fourth child. I will not lie to you or insult you or be harsh on you. My advice is always to remember that political power is both short-lived and effervescent.”
    Frimpong-Boateng also revealed current activity of galamsey close to Oppong Nkrumah’s hometown and urged his former colleague to investigate and take appropriate action.
    “I don’t want to believe that what the person said about your role is true. The important thing is that Chinese and their Ghanaian collaborators are engaged in illegal mining at your doorstep.”

  • Prof Frimpong-Boateng wants to tarnish my image – Former Manso Nkwanta MP

    Prof Frimpong-Boateng wants to tarnish my image – Former Manso Nkwanta MP

    Former Member of Parliament for the Ashanti region’s Manso Nkwanta constituency, Prof. Joseph Albert Quarm, has categorically rejected accusations that he engaged in illegal mining, also known as galamsey, made by former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.

    Speaking with Aduanaba Kofi Ampong on Ezra Morning show on Friday, monitored by GhanaWeb, Prof. Quarm called out the claims by Frimpong Boateng’s report as mere false accusations that seek to tarnish his image. He also described the report as worthless since it failed to listen to his side of the story before being issued by the professor.

    According to him, the Minerals Commission and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources legally established community minings in his constituency and he doesn’t know if that was what Frimpong Boateng’s report has captured as illegal operations by him. He However described the claims as false that must disregarded by everyone.
    “I don’t even have one concession not even to talk of dozen concessions sold by me, as stated in his report.” Mr. Quarm said.

    “He doesn’t have any substantive evidence on his statement so I’m challenging him to come out with evidence”. Prof. Quarm said it on the radio during the interview
    He stated that he will go to court if Prof. Frimpong Boateng didn’t retract and apologize to him.

    “I do expect him to retract and apologize over his false reportage that seek to denigrate my reputation, else he will have to meet in court to prove otherwise”. He concluded.

    His response was in reaction to a recent publication by Professor Frimpong-Boateng on illegal mining activities that implicated many NPP gurus and others in government. The former Manso Nkwanta MP was captured to have been owing many concessions which he sold to illegal miners at 2 Million Ghana Cedis.

  • I’ve never participated in galamsey – Lord Commey

    I’ve never participated in galamsey – Lord Commey

    Lord Commey, the Director of Operations at the Presidency, has vehemently refuted claims that he participated in illegal mining (galamsey).

    A 37-page report authored by the former Minister for Science and Technology, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng who was Chairman of the Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (ICIM) named Mr Commey as one of the persons at the Jubilee House who had hired Chinese nationals to engage in galamsey on his behalf.

    “There are appointees in the Jubilee House that are doing or supporting illegal mining or interfering with the fight against the menace. Examples are Lord Commey, Charles Nii Teiko, and Frank Asiedu Bekoe (Protozoa).”

    But in a response, Mr Commey said he had “never engaged in or supported illegal mining as contained in the said report.

    “There is no point prior, during and after the appointment of the said Minister have I called, text or even assigned anyone to seek favour in respect of engaging in illegal mining to warrant his unsubstantiated allegations against me.

    He dared the former Minister to provide evidence to back his allegations.

    Below is the full statement

    RE: REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE IMCIM SO FAR AND THE WAY FORWARD

    My attention has been drawn to a 37-page report purported to have been written by the former Minister for Science and Technology, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng who was Chairman of the Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (ICIM).

    The report said to have been submitted to the Chief of Staff (CoS) cites me as an example of persons supporting or engaging in illegal mining.

    “There are appointees in the Jubilee House that are doing or supporting illegal mining or interfering with the fight against the menace. Examples are Lord Commey, Charles Nii Teiko, and Frank Asiedu Bekoe (Protozoa),”

    For purposes of setting the records straight, I wish to state without shred of doubt that I have never engaged in or supported illegal mining as contained in the said report.

    There is no point prior, during and after the appointment of the said Minister have I called, text or even assigned anyone to seek favour in respect of engaging in illegal mining to warrant his unsubstantiated allegations against me.

    I therefore challenge him to prove beyond reasonable doubts claims I was either promoting or engaging in illegal mining or I would use available legal means to protect my hardwon reputation.

    Until proven otherwise, I would urge all to treat the claims of Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng with the contempt they deserve.

    God Bless our homeland Ghana

    Lord Commey
    Director of Operations at the Presidency

  • 2021 Galamsey report: Prof Quarm refutes having any concession in his name

    2021 Galamsey report: Prof Quarm refutes having any concession in his name

    Prof. Albert Joseph Quarm, a former Manso Nkwanta MP, has refuted accusations that he participated in unlawful mining.

    This comes after former Environment Minister, Prof Frimpong Boateng, submitted names of people in government who frustrated his effort to fight what is locally called ‘galamsey’. He captured this in his 2021 report on the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM).

    Mr Quarm’s name was on the list, where he was accused of abusing his role as a member of the Minerals Commission board to acquire concessions and sell them.

    According to the report, the former MP sold the concessions to private individuals, including party members for GH¢200,000 per concession.

    But in an interview on Friday, Prof Quarm said “I do not even have a single concession…I do not even have a concession in my name.”

    “It is a fabrication,” he added, stating that he will have his lawyers write to Prof Frimpong-Boateng to retract and apologise.

    “If he doesn’t do it, I will advise myself,” Prof Quarm said.

  • Prove that I participate in galamsey – Lord Commey to Prof Frimpong Boateng

    Prove that I participate in galamsey – Lord Commey to Prof Frimpong Boateng

    The former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, has been challenged by the Director of Operations at the Presidency, Lord Commey, to give proof of his involvement in an unlawful small-scale mining practice (galamsey).

    According to Lord Commey, the allegation made by Prof. Frimpong Boateng that he (Commey) is involved in illegal small-scale mining should be ignored by Ghanaians.

    In a statement copied to GhanaWeb, the director of operations at the presidency said that he has never been involved in galamsey, and has never used his position to protect someone in the menace.

    “For purposes of setting the records straight, I wish to state without shred of doubt that I have never engaged in or supported illegal mining as contained in the said report. There is no point prior, during and after the appointment of the said Minister have I called, text or even assigned anyone to seek favour in respect of engaging in illegal mining to warrant his unsubstantiated allegations against me.

    “I therefore challenge him to prove beyond reasonable doubts claims that I was either promoting or engaging in illegal mining or I would use available legal means to protect my hard-won reputation.

    “Until proven otherwise, I would urge all to treat the claims of Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng with the contempt they deserve,” parts of the statement read.

    Background

    A former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Prof Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, named members of parliament and top government officials who are allegedly involved in illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) in Ghana.

    Portions of a report on illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) in Ghana by Prof Frimpong Boateng, indicated that these MPs and government officials were either directly involved in galamsey or were using their power to protect relatives who were involved in the menace.

    The 36-page report, which Prof Frimpong addressed to the Chief of Staff and the Ghana Police Service, according to myjoyonline.com, implicated the former MP for Manso Nkwanta, Joseph Albert Quarm; director of operations at the presidency, Laud Commey; executive assistant and head of social media at the presidency, Charles Nii Teiko; and Frank Asiedu Bekoe, director of political affairs at the Office of the Chief of Staff.

    “He (the former NPP MP) used his position as a member of the Minerals Commission to acquire several dozens of large-scale concessions in his district, ostensibly for community mining purposes. He ended up selling these concessions to private individuals, including party members for GH¢2000 per concession.

    “Throughout our struggle with illegalities in the small-scale mining sector, what baffled me was the total disregard of the president’s commitment to protecting the environment. I can state without any equivocation that many party officials from the national to the unit committee level had their friends, PAs, agents, relatives, financiers, or relatives engaged in illegal mining. Most of them engaged Chinese working for them.

    “There are appointees in the Jubilee House that are doing or supporting illegal mining or interfering with the fight against the menace. Examples are Laud Commey, Charles Nii Teiko, and Frank Asiedu Bekoe (Protozoa),” parts of the report read.

    The report also indicated that members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) had also acquired several mining concessions, especially in the Western Region.

    “In the Wassa East District, a former NDC Deputy Minister who is also MP for the Wassa East constituency has been actively mining in the Subri forest for years,” the report also stated.

  • Gabby insisting that I give a company the permit to engage in illegal mining got me scared – Prof. Boateng

    Gabby insisting that I give a company the permit to engage in illegal mining got me scared – Prof. Boateng

    In his report on illegal mining, former environment minister Prof. Frimpong Boateng expressed his horror at what he claimed to have learned through a phone call from attorney Gabby Otchere Darko, who allegedly instructed him to permit a mining business to operate in the Krobo and Apaprama Forest Reserve.

    According to the report, which was allegedly written by the former minister, he was horrified because the lawyer who was closer to the president and should have supported his fight against Galamsey was the one fronting for the company to engage in illegality.

    Prof. Boateng, in the said report, revealed that the lawyer had called claiming to be the legal representative for Donald Entsuah and his friend Simon Ayman, a Candian national, whose company C&J Aleska had reportedly caused havoc to the Diaso Forest Reserve.

    The portion of the report read: ”The major pronouncement made by the President, when he took office in January 2017 that touched the hearts and rekindled the enthusiasm of many Ghanaians, including me, was about his preparedness to put his presidency on the line to fight the menace of illegal mining.

    I took this statement literally and seriously and I was determined to do everything I could to protect the environment and biodiversity.

    I was expecting people such as Mr. Gabby Asare Otchere Darko, Captain Kodah and others like them, who knew the President better and certainly had his interest and success at heart, to support the fight against illegal mining.
    I was thus horrified to receive a telephone call from Mr. Otchere Darko telling me he was the legal advisor to Mr. Donald Entsuah and his Imperial Heritage Mining Company and that the company should be allowed to work in the Kobro and Apaprama Forest Reserves.

    It was this same Donald Entsuah and his friend Simon Ayman, a Canadian national, whose company C&J Aleska caused havoc in the Diaso forest. These two gentlemen were close allies of the Mahamas and soldiers from the Ghana Army gave them protection. Captain Mahama died in the course of his duty protecting Donald Entsuah’s interests.

    The IMCIM was able to dislodge E&J Aleska from Diaso. Shortly thereafter Donald Entsuah established Imperial Heritage Mining Company and was given a prospecting licence to work in the Kobro and Apaprama forests in Amansie Central. Here again, he managed to get military protection contrary to all directives from government. Worse still, an important NPP member also provided legal advice.”

    It added ”Going forward, if there will ever be such an undertaking, I expect the President’s pronouncement and wishes to be respected and supported, especially by those close to him.

    For four years there were directives from the President and his Cabinet that were designed to help fight illegal mining. These directives were to be respected and carried out by Ministries and some agencies.”

  • Frimpong-Boateng’s report reveals majority of ministers abandoned committee to probe illegal mining

    Frimpong-Boateng’s report reveals majority of ministers abandoned committee to probe illegal mining

    According to Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng’s final report majority of the ministers appointed to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) abandoned the committee.

    The only ministers who remained a part of the Committee, according to Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng’s report, were the Ministers of Sanitation and Local Government and Rural Development.

    The Committee was set in March, 2017 by President Akufo-Addo in the fight against illegal small-scale mining.

    Among the ministries which formed the Committee are Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR), Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), Chieftaincy & Religious Affairs, Regional Re-Organisation and Development, Monitoring and Evaluation, Water and Sanitation, Interior, Defense and Information.

    Among the tasks of the Committee was to sanitise and regularise small-scale mining activities in the various mining districts to ensure that miners work within legal framework.

    But the Committee was dissolved shortly after the 2020 elections.

    Committee Chairman Prof Frimpong-Boateng, who was Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, accused some elements at the Jubilee House of hampering the efforts of the inter-ministerial committee.

    In his report, sighted by 3news.com, the respected heart surgeon listed abandonment of members as the first challenge his committee faced.

    “Apart from the Ministers for Sanitation and Local Government and Rural Development, all the others abandoned the Committee,” he stated in the report, said to have been submitted on March 19, 2021.

    “To make matters worse, the Chairman was personally attacked, vilified and framed for things he had not done.

    “Such assaults came from many people, including some of the ministers who effectively left the committee.”

    He cited Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, and then Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Mafo, as among ministers who deliberately worked against the committee.

  • Two illegal miners meet their untimely death at Assin Awisam

    Two illegal miners meet their untimely death at Assin Awisam

    Two illegal miners have met their untimely death after a canoe they were traveling on capsized on River Pra at Awisam in the Assin Fosu Municipality of the Central Region.

    Information gathered by Kasapa News’ Yaw Boagyan, indicates that 11 illegal miners were traveling on the canoe which has capacity for 5 people after their illegal mining activity. But along the journey, the canoe capsized when it hit a rock causing the two to drown. The remaining 9 were able to swim to the bank of the river.

    The bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the mortuary.

    Meanwhile, the Assemblyman of the area, Mr. Jerry Ayuba in an interview said this is not the first time such sad incident has happened on that river, adding that the victims involved are mostly youth who seem to value the money they gain from the activities more than their lives.

    He, therefore, advised the youth against engaging in illegal mining.

  • Illegal mining affecting the Black Volta River’s management of water resources

    Illegal mining affecting the Black Volta River’s management of water resources

    Illegal mining, Farming, and deforestation along the banks of water bodies on some parts of the Black Volta River are major challenges to water resources management in the Upper West Region.

    On the part of groundwater Resources, the major challenges faced are the uncontrolled drilling of boreholes and the use of unlicensed drilling companies in the drilling and construction of boreholes.

    The Head of Black Volta Basin, Water Resources CommissionDr Joachim Agiiwe Abungba, raised these concerns during a tour with students and other stakeholders around the stretch of the Black Volta River to mark World Water Day celebration in the region.

    The Day was on the theme: “Accelerating Change” and the tour was to enable the students and the stakeholders to see how they could individually accelerate the change in water resources management.

    The Water level in the basin as at March 22, 2023, was 4.12 metres and will rise to 13.28 metres during its peak in the rainy season.

    The students were drawn from the Wa Senior High, St. Francis Xavier Minor Seminary, Wa Senior High/Technical School and Jamiat Islamic Girls Senior High and charged to act as agents of change, advocating for the protection and sustainable utilisation of water resources to help address why so many people had been without access to safe water.

    Dr Abungba noted that the Unwillingness on the part of water users in the basin to register their operations with the Water Resources Commission mandated to regulate and manage the water resources, was also a challenge and needed to be addressed.

    “Without a proper register of water users in the basin, it will be difficult to regulate activities for sustainable utilisation of the basin’s water resources,” he pointed out.

    He said as part of efforts to the attainment of the Goal Six of the Sustainable Development Goals, which targeted water for all by 2030, to among other actions, there was the need to advocate for the protection and restoration of ecosystems to safeguard the existence of water resources for use today and that of posterity.

    Dr Abungba announced that the Black Volta Basin Secretariat had developed an integrated water resources management plan to ensure sustainable exploitation, utilisation and management of the basin’s water resources while maintaining biodiversity and the quality of the environment for future generations.

    He explained that all major global issues from health to hunger, gender equality to employment, education to industry, and disasters to peace were hampered by dysfunction in the water cycle.

    The Head of Black Volta Basin, said it was sad that the world’s population human rights to water and sanitation had not been met, as numerous farms, industries, schools, enterprises, and healthcare facilities were being held back because of water and sanitation challenges.

    He called for urgent measures to speed up efforts towards achieving sustainable water management practices through collective efforts so that the challenges being faced in the water sector could be solved.

    Mr Ato Quansah, the Regional Director of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency, appealed to community leaders to refrain from the practice of burying dead bodies in the compounds and rooms.

    They should also make sure that old cemeteries were properly demarcated to stop people from drilling boreholes in those areas because underground water could be contaminated and unsafe for human consumption.

  • Bissiw alleges Prof. Frimpong-Boateng was cited twice in galamsey investigations

    Bissiw alleges Prof. Frimpong-Boateng was cited twice in galamsey investigations

    According to Charles Bissiw, a former secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on illegal mining (galamsey), Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, the former minister of environment, science, and technology, has been declared a suspect twice in investigations into illegal small-scale mining,

    He claimed that Prof. Frimpong-Boateng was labeled a suspect because he was in charge of distributing excavators that the government had seized and confiscated for use in galamsey in 2020, which went missing.

    Speaking in an interview on Neat FM on Monday, monitored by GhanaWeb, Bissiw added that Prof Frimpong-Boateng reported the issue of the missing excavators to the Ghana Police Service, and he became a suspect after the investigations into the matter.

    “Prof knows the truth about this issue (the missing excavators) but he has let Ghana down. Prof reported this issue to the police, and I went to the CID to present my statement for their investigations. At the end of the day, Prof became a suspect.

    “Ask him whether he responded to the invitation of the police. He, also, reported a case to the BNI (Bureau of National Investigations), and at the end of the day, he become a suspect. Ask him if he did not sack the officers of the BNI who came to interrogate him about the missing excavators,” he said in Twi.

    He added that Prof. Frimpong Boateng has all the details about the persons behind the missing excavators, and he has let the country down by failing to tell Ghanaians the whole truth on the matter.

    Charles Bissue, however, noted that the recent detail given on the number of excavators that went missing by the former science and technology minister, in an interview on the state broadcaster, GBC, is the truth.

    Speaking in an exclusive interview on March 10, 2023, with GBC News, Prof. Frimpong Boateng, a renowned surgeon, refuted assertions that the number of excavators that went missing in 2020, when he was minister, was 500.

    “No 500 excavators went messing, it was somebody who threw that into the media space to tag something of Frimpong Boateng. What am I doing with 500 excavators?” he questioned.

    According to him, the anti-galamsey taskforce seized between 150 and 200 excavators.

    “When we went round, I think we got about 150, 200 that you could see. The rest had either been given to the owners or put in extra parts and moved away. And somebody put it out there, Frimpong Boateng has taken 500 excavators, what am I going to do with them? There was an orchestrating scheme even within the party and government to get you out,” he said.

  • Golden Star Wassa Mine clash: 33 persons arrested

    Golden Star Wassa Mine clash: 33 persons arrested

    According to reports, 33 individuals have been detained for last week’s demolition of Golden Star Wassa Mine properties in Benso,Western Area.

    The company’s employees were forced to flee for their safety after the illegal miners reportedly set 12 vehicles on fire, including pick-up trucks, ambulances, and excavators.

    The Head of Group Corporate Affairs of the company, Gerard Hillary Osei Boakye earlier narrated to Citi News, how they were attacked.

    “We usually do our patrols to protect our concession which is required of us by law to be responsible for our boundaries and also prevent incursions, to make sure that community people, hunters, and farms are safe. On one such occasion which was Thursday, March 16, we encountered some illegal miners encroaching, we engaged them as part of our modus operandi and told them to move away”.

    “They were interested in that area, so they came back and when they came back, we tried to ward them off with the help of the police. They dispersed again and apparently unconfirmed report reaching us is that they may have been injured in the cause of being dispersed. That probably infuriated them, and they came back to torch our vehicles and ran our security post down, destroyed our offices, basically burnt things down,” he explained.

  • Forestry Commission impounds 26 illegal chainsaw machines

    Forestry Commission impounds 26 illegal chainsaw machines

    The Forestry Commission of the Western North Area has seized 26 illegal chainsaws that were being used by their owners day and night in forest reserves.

    The “Operation Arrest Chainsaw” has also resulted in the arrest of eight (8) operators.

    This according to the Western North branch of the Commission is an effort to ensure the protection and preservation of the forest reserves for the future generation.

    Confirming the arrest to the media on Thursday, March 16, 2023, the Western North Regional Forestry Range Manager and Coordinator of the Forestry Commission who led the Rapid Team to embark on the operations, George Arthur said it was a special operation to arrest only chainsaw Machines operating illegally in the forest reserve.

    According to the range Manager, chainsawing is the major threat to the reserve hence their decision to embark on the exercise against those illegal operators.

    He said the Rapid team were divided into five groups and dispatched into the reserves where these illegal chainsawing goes on.

    George Arthur indicated that after the arrest, 26 chainsaw machines, pump action guns with cartridges, two ‘jacks’ and other items were retrieved from the operators.

    The Western North Regional Manager of the Forestry Commission, Stephen Asamoah Duah indicated that the 26 chainsaw machines were retrieved within 5 days and more of them were arrested at the night.

    “The focus of our operations was to attack the source of illegal chainsawing rather than arresting the illegal operators on the roads,” he told the Media.

    He pledged the District Managers in the region will continue to hunt for those who engage in the forest illegally with different strategies.

    Meanwhile, the Sefwi Wiawso Forest District Manager, Mr Raymond Obeng Boamah disclosed the Commission is doing its best but some residents in the Ahafo Region precisely Sankore are making their work very difficult for them.

    The Rapid Response Team of the Western North Forestry Commission appealed to the authorities of the Commission to provide them with more logistics such as guns, vehicles, walkie-talkies among others so they can protect the forest Reserves effectively.

    “These illegal Chainsaw Operators are very wicked and fully armed and we need to arm ourselves too otherwise any time they give a warning shot, it will scare you to go back, and in the process they will continue their activities to destroy the forest reserve. We are there to protect the reserves for the unborn generation and if we allow few people to cut all these trees including the small ones what signal are we sending to the future generation,” he told the media.

  • Branded vehicle of the Asanteman task force against illegal mining revealed

    Branded vehicle of the Asanteman task force against illegal mining revealed

    A branded vehicle of the Asanteman Task Force Against Illegal Mining has been sighted.

    The vehicle, a Toyota Double Cabin pick up with registration number GN 8818-20, also has the inscription, Ghana Responsible Gold Mining Summit, and a beautiful picture of the Asantehene, His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

    Task Force

    Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has been at the forefront of the quest to root out illegal mining (galamsey) from the country. He has declared 2023 an action year as he moves to protect lands and water bodies in his Kingdom from the activities of illegal miners. The Task Force will be playing a major role in this, and also other anti-illegal mining activities in the coming years.

    To demonstrate his determination to tackle the illegal mining menace head-on, His Majesty has warned chiefs under his authority that any of them whose lands and rivers have been destroyed by illegal miners would be summoned for questioning and anyone who fails to provide reasonable explanation will be sanctioned to serve as a deterrent to others.

  • Galamsey causes COCOBOD to lose GH4.8 billion

    Galamsey causes COCOBOD to lose GH4.8 billion

    Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has said it has lost GH¢4.8 billion worth of investment in 35 hectares of cocoa farms to illegal mining (galamsey) activities at Boinso in the Western Region.

    The investment covered the planting of new cocoa trees and plantain suckers, compensations to landowners and farmers, extension services, among other activities it was undertaking to scale up the country’s cocoa production.

    Rev Edwin Afari, Executive Director, Cocoa Health, and Extension Division said a recent visit to the area saw that all the cocoa trees they planted had been cut down for galamsey.

    “We have not even accounted for the harvesting that will be coming. It is just the investment; all the work we have done over there has gone to waste and so you can imagine what is happening,” he lamented.

    He was speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the sideline of a ceremony to award some 15 blind cocoa farmers, a novelty by the Board to whip up interest in cocoa farming, particularly among persons with disabilities.

    He observed that galamsey had had a dramatic impact on the cocoa industry in Ghana over the last 10 years, and as a major earner of foreign exchange, the country could suffer the blunt if the illegality continued.

    Rev Afari averred that the State cocoa company was facing a hard time reviving the industry as cocoa farmers were giving out their farms willingly or under compulsion for galamsey.

    “In the southern part of the Western North and some parts of Ashanti Region, especially the Manso Adobea, Antoakrom and the Enyinam areas, a lot of the miners are causing us a lot of trouble.”

    “They are cutting away all the newly planted cocoa trees that we have, and it is really causing us a lot of investments,” she said.

    He said Ghana risked losing its cocoa and, therefore, called on government, the Minerals Commission, and chiefs to help fight the menace to save the industry by not giving out concessions in cocoa-growing areas.

    “Because this is what gets us foreign exchange and shores up our Cedi when it is depreciating, and also gives government more room to invest in all the development areas,” he said.

    And to the farmers, Mr Afari noted that “the lump sum money may be good now but not in the future because cocoa is there all the time.

    “If you do it well and you get 25 bags per hectare, you will be getting more money than you are getting now.”

    He further expressed concerns over the aging population of cocoa farmers, citing the attendant looming dire impact on the economy and general development.

    He was worried that many young people were not interested in agriculture in spite of the vast potential in the sector.

    He admonished the youth, especially professionals from all fields, to venture into cocoa to create wealth for themselves and the country.

    Rev Afari said the country was targeting 850,000 tonnes of cocoa this year as against last year’s 683,000.

  • Aircraft far better than drones in galamsey fight – Derek Oduro

    Aircraft far better than drones in galamsey fight – Derek Oduro

    Former Deputy Defence Minister, Major (rtd) Derek Oduro, says the decision to use aircrafts to fight illegal mining is a laudable.

    This comment by the former Minister comes after the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry revealed that it is set to take delivery of four aircraft from the Ghana Armed Forces to aid the fight against illegal mining, also known as galamsey.

    George Mireku Duker, Deputy Lands Minister, said the aircraft, which belongs to the Armed Forces, will come in handy as new strategies are being mapped out to fight illegal mining.

    “The aircraft have been around, and they are sitting in Takoradi. You could bear with me that in court we may need some evidence, it is the reason these aircraft are very important in the sector. We are hoping to have not less than four of these aircrafts,” Mireku Duker told pressmen.

    After the re-launch of Operation Halt II on October 11, 2022, the Ghana Armed Forces deployed in the fight against illegal mining in forest reserves and river bodies seized 30 excavators, destroyed four and immobilized four others on site.

    Reacting to the use of aircraft in fighting illegal mining, Major (ret.) Derek Oduro told host Ama Gyenfa Ofosu Darkwa of Atinka TV’s morning show “Ghana Nie” that the use of helicopters will be more effective in the fight against Galamsey than drones.

    Major (rtd) Derrick Oduro reiterated that the use of helicopters to support the fight against illegal mining will prevent informants from giving heads-up to illegal miners.

    “You were talking about the use of drones in fighting Galamsey, the drones helped but like we all know, there is a limit to the use of the drones. The drones cannot do what the helicopters can do. With the helicopters, the illegal miners can be sighted from afar, traced and followed to hideouts,” Major (rtd) Derrick Oduro told Ama Gyenfa.

    Commenting on the setbacks in the fight against illegal mining, Major (rtd) Derek Oduro attributed the hitch to dirty politics.

    He opined that during the fight, the media, which had initially embraced the fight, stepped back and began accusing the government of taking bribes from the illegal miners.

    “Dirty politics have hindered the progress of the fight. The media which initially embraced the fight stepped and turned against the operations of the fight against illegal mining and begun accusing government for taking bribes from the illegal miners,” he added.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Forestry Commission fights illegal mining in Forest Reserves

    Forestry Commission fights illegal mining in Forest Reserves

    The staff of the Bekwai Forest District of the Ashanti Region of the Forest Services Division (FSD) of the Forestry Commission (FC), are waging a war against illegal mining activities in the Bunusu portion of the Oda River Forest Reserve, and the Koboro-Odaho portions of the Apamprama Forest Reserves.

    Clement Omari, the Regional Manager of FSD, Ashanti Region, said staff of FSD, who were on their normal patrol duties in the two forest reserves, discovered a number of excavators believed to belong to miners operating illegally in the reserves.

    The staff called for reinforcement from the Rapid Response teams stationed in the Nkawie Forest District to join the team at Bekwai.

    In a series of operations led by the District Manager of Bekwai, Rexford Twum Damoah, mining equipment including 12 excavators, 12 heavy-duty pumping machines and wooden make-shift housing structures of the illegal miners were burnt down.

    No arrests have been made yet since the illegal miners bolted upon seeing the teams and no one has come forward yet to claim ownership of the equipment.

    In a related development, the Bekwai Forest District staff of FSD in December 2022, arrested three Chinese nationals who were undertaking illegal mining activities in the Oda River Forest Reserve.

    The matter was reported to the police and the three Chinese nationals were taken to the Bekwai Circuit Court where they were granted bail pending further investigations.

    The Oda River Forest Reserve is one of the prime production Forest Reserves in the Ashanti Region where timber production is carried out.

    It covers an area of 164.43km², out of which about 32.86km², which represents about 20% of the Reserve, lies within the Amansie West Administrative District and the remaining 80% (131.57km²) falls under the Amansie Central Administrative District. It generally lies within the South West corner of the Bekwai Forest District.

    Both the Oda River and Apamprama Forest Reserves serve as watersheds for the Oda River, which is one of the major rivers in Ghana. It is home to a wide variety of biodiversity and serves as source of drinking water for communities downstream, including the Obuasi Municipality.

    In 2021, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, MP, declared forest reserves and water bodies as red zones and restricted areas, where no mining should be allowed to take place.

    He, therefore, instructed Forestry Commission to desist from issuing forest entry permits for purposes of mineral prospecting or mining in any forest reserve.

    Forest reserves have come under attack from illegal operations in recent times and Forestry Commission is determined to ensure all forest reserves are protected from illegal mining and other forest offences.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Details of how Ras Nene painfully lost GH¢120,000 to galamsey

    Details of how Ras Nene painfully lost GH¢120,000 to galamsey

    When the movie industry took a nosedive seven years ago, Ras Nene, also known as Dr. Likee decided to channel his energy and resources into illegal mining, known in the local parlance as ‘galamsey’, the actor has said.

    In his interview on The Delay Show aired on January 15, 2023, the Kumawood star recalled how he invested an initial amount of GH¢70,000 and later requested a loan from a friend.

    According to him, after investing GH¢70,000 in the business, he made GH¢40,000 on his first attempt, a development that encouraged him to invest more.

    “I had sites and equipment. One of my sites was around Bole Bamboi, a town called Sapa. I had another on a Gonjaland. This was seven years ago,” said the actor who was able to build a house for his mother through acting.

    “I invested GH¢70,000 (seven hundred million old Ghana cedi). I raked GH¢40,000 on my first attempt and so I was convinced it was worth it. After making that GH¢40,000 amount, things went down. I was eager to break even. A man I worked with advised me to seek spiritual assistance but I ignored him. He went spiritual and was able to succeed while I wallowed in distress,” Ras Nene said in the Twi language.

    He recalled how he rescinded his decision to leave the site after discovering another site that had potential. Instead of calling it quits, he rather asked a friend for a loan to invest but his dream was not realized.

    He said: “I called a friend of mine and asked for a GH¢50,000 loan. Unfortunately, everything went down the drain. I didn’t even have money for transportation.”

    Disclosing that his family and friends neglected him at this stage, Ras Nene said he received assistance from a pastor called Penamang. But for her assistance, there was no hope.

    “She gave me GH¢70 for transportation,” he said.

    In what appeared to be that last straw that broke the camel’s back, Ras Nene said his “own people” called the man that gave him the loan to inform him of his return.

    “As soon as I got home, the man came in with the police to arrest me,” the actor narrated as he disclosed, he spent three days in remand. “I was later told the man said he had forgiven me. I was subsequently released.”

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Ashanti Region records 27 tragic illegal mining cases

    The Ashanti Region has recorded 27 tragic cases of residents in mining areas falling and dying in abandoned galamsey pits as of December 22, 2022.

    The Regional National Disaster Management Organization in an interview with JoyNews said that these galamsey related deaths involved women and children returning or going to their farms.

    The Regional NADMO Director, Frank Kwadwo Duodu told Erastus Asare Donkor that his outfit is drawing a plan to reclaim parts of the affected areas to be used for farming activities in 2023.

    He also called for legislation to empower NADMO to be able to demolish structures contributing to flooding in the country.

    Many parts of the Amansie Central municipality and communities along the Offin River have been turned into wastelands and death traps of abandoned pits and gullies.

    According to the regional NADMO office, they recorded 27 illegal mining-related mine cave-ins and drowning in abandoned pits.

    They noted that many of the cases involved women and children.

    The Ashanti region also recorded 38 cases of flooding, 120 fires, 45 cases of windstorms, 12 cases of building collapse and four fuel tanker accidents.

    Mr Duodu said that some of the flooding situations were preventable.

    He is therefore calling for legislation to empower NADMO to take demolition action on structures cited illegally with the potential to cause flooding.

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • Government needs your support to deal with galamsey – Akufo-Addo to farmers

    Farmers are being pushed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to join the fight against galamsey, or illegal mining.

    President Akufo-Addo remarked that farmers and citizens must collaborate to battle the galamsey threat during his speech at the 38th National Best Farmer award.

    According to the President, if farmers and the general people do not cooperate with the government to eradicate the galamsey threat, the unlawful activity would wreak havoc on the ecosystem.

    If we don’t want to sabotage the legacy our forefathers left for us, it is our common responsibility as citizens and farmers to put an end to this environmental canker, he said.

    In the view of the President, if “we are able to completely curb the menace of illegal mining”, the cocoa sector will thrive.

    “Sustainability of the cocoa sector is consented on how effectively we are able to fight the devastating effect of illegal mining”, he said.

  • Government to set up task force on rivers to end illegal mining

    A task force will be established by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to keep an eye on unlawful mining near the nation’s water resources.

    Benito Owusu-Bio, the deputy minister in charge of lands and forestry, claimed the action will assist reduce river pollution.

    He claims that the rate at which river bodies are being destroyed bothers him.

    “We are making sure we will be able to address the issue of illegal mining especially on the river bodies.

    According to Mr. Owusu-Bio, the government has equipped personnel with the training and resources they need to effectively carry out their mandates.

    “As we speak now, river guards have been trained, the government has procured speedboats and soon they are going to start operations and monitoring of the river bodies,” he disclosed on the sidelines of a joint technical meeting in Accra between the Ghana Boundary Commission and the Cote D’Ivoire Boundary Commission.”

    The Deputy Minister observed that the previous strategy of only going to the river when there was information about mining operations had not produced the desired outcomes and was certain that the current strategy was the best.

    “Now these speedboats and the river guards who have been trained how to swim and who will be given the necessary equipment like swimsuit and everything will be there and when they say they are monitoring.

    “They [will] monitor from where the river meets the sea and continue upstream where the river finds its source,” he said.

    The public was urged by Mr. Owusu-Bio to assist the government’s efforts to put a stop to unlawful mining.

    “We need the full complement of all equipment;-you need drones, you need speedboats, we need trained human resources; the military, and you and I, including the media. When we come together and collaborate, we will be able to end this matter,” he added.

     

     

  • Aisha Huang used forged marriage certificate to obtain residence permit – Witness tells court

    A superintendent of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), David Essien has told an Accra High Court that Aisha Huang used a forged marriage certificate to obtain an indefinite residence permit.

    A forged Ghanaian passport is also said to have been attached to the application that culminated in the grant of the permit.

    Supt. Essien said it was the detection of this situation that led the Immigration Service to revoke her permit and repatriate her out of the country.

    The issue of how Aisha Huang left Ghana in 2018 remains a thorny matter. State prosecutors have previously told an Accra Circuit Court she fled the country.

    This was a position contrary to what a government official had claimed.

    Former Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Marfo had stated that was in furtherance of a business transaction with the Chinese Government.

    Supt. Essien is the Attorney General’s second witness in the case in which the Chinese National is accused of engaging in illegal mining.

    He started his testimony by telling the court he was tasked to investigate the accused person following a publication on Myjoyonline.com and another news portal.

    The stories he said made serious allegations of illegal mining against the Chinese National. Supt Essien said he was asked to check her immigration status and the situation on the ground with regard to the allegation.

    He revealed he found out that she had an indefinite residence permit. During cross-examination, lead Counsel for Aisha Huang, Nkrabeah Effah Dartey asked the Immigration officer whether his probe was only regarding her immigration status.

    Supt Essien replied it bothered him as well as the allegations regarding the illegal mining.

     

    He then gave the following details about her repatriation.

    “When we examined the passport, she was on an indefinite residence permit which was granted to her based on her supposed marriage to a Ghanaian known as Anthony Fabian.

    However, investigations conducted by the GIS established that the accused used a forged marriage certificate and forged ghana passport in support of her application for the indefinite residence permit.

    As a result of this, the Comptroller-General revoked the indefinite residence permit on grounds of fraudulent misrepresentation in accordance which led to her subsequent repartition on December 19, 2018.“

    Mr Dartey told the court he will continue with his cross-examination after conferring with his client.

    It is worth noting that the trial on Monday did not commence without controversy.

    Aisha Huang told the Court she could not understand an interpreter who had been tasked to assist her. A new interpreter was brought to continue with that task.

    The case is back in Court on Tuesday, November 15.

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • Six illegal miners at Dormaa East granted ₵150k bail each

    Six illegal miners arrested at Dormaa East in the Bono Region have each been granted GH₵150,000.00 bail with one surety to be justified for engaging in small-scale mining without licence.

    A circuit court at Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Dormaa Central Municipality granted the bail to Benjamin Kofi Boakye, 52, farmer, Francis Akanyanga, 21, farmer, and Inusah Abdulai, 20, unemployed, when they were arraigned.

    The rest were Rashid Hamza, 22, unemployed, Samuel Oteng,16, welder apprentice, and Collins Yeboah, 17, mason apprentice.

    They all pleaded not guilty and the case was adjourned to Tuesday, November 22.

    Police Inspector (P/Inspt.) Emmanuel Asare, the prosecutor, told the court, presided by Mr Samuel Djanie Kotey, that the complainant, Mr Emmanuel Kofi Agyemang, is the Dormaa East District Chief Executive and Chairman of the District Security Committee.

    He said at about 1330 hours on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, the complainant, accompanied by police officers from the District Police Command, went on an operation in some parts of the district to curb illegal mining activities. 

    At Supre in Dormaa-Akwamu, Boakye and Oteng, the first and fifth accused, respectively, were met engaging in illegal mining without licence in the company of others along the Supre River in different illegal mining (galamsey) pits.

    He said the security team arrested Boakye and Oteng whilst the others fled, but Akanyanga, the second accused, was arrested by the roadside on his way home.

    P/Inspt. Asare said the team extended the operation to the Kyeremansuo River area near Kyeremasu in the district and met Abdulai and Hamza, third and fourth accused, among others engaging in galamsey and were arrested.

    He said along the Momsobour stream near Wamfie, Yeboah, the sixth accused person, was also arrested but his colleagues escaped.

    One water-pumping machine, nine shovels, four pickaxes, four washing carpets, two black plastic basins, and four rubber buckets used by the accused persons were retrieved at the different sites.

    During interrogations, the first accused admitted engaging in illegal mining but the rest denied the offence.

    On Friday, October 28, they were arraigned at the Wamfie District Court and remanded into police custody to assist in investigations and charged with the offence, Inspt. Asare said.

    Source: GNA

  • Banning small-scale mining won’t end galamsey – Former Minerals Commission boss

    A former Director of the Minerals Commission, Richard Kofi Afenu, says he disagrees with calls for the government to ban small-scale mining in the country.

    According to him, banning small-scale mining is not the answer to illegal mining otherwise known as galamsey.

    “I do not think a ban on small-scale mining would yield the desired result of fighting illegal mining. In 2017, a ban was imposed on mining. The question is, were are we able to root out illegal mining?”

    He argues that the astronomical increase in gold production when a ban on mining was imposed in 2018, was enough evidence that a new ban will not yield the required results but will only make room for illegal mining to prevail.

    Speaking to Citi News, Mr. Afenu wants the government to provide lasting solutions, including the stringent enforcement of laws that govern mining in the country.

    “We need to look at the drivers, and what is causing illegal mining in the country. Let’s tackle the root cause. Let us see the powers that are backing the illegal miners”.

    Already, analysts have warned Ghana risks being food and water insecure as the activities of illegal miners continue to destroy water bodies and ravage farmlands.

    Religious groups, Civil Society Groups such as Green Advocate Ghana among others have called on the government to ban small-scale mining in the country.

    These groups posit that both illegal and legal small-scale mining had destroyed biodiversity, hence the need for its restoration.

     

     

  • Operation Halt II seizes 30 excavators, arrests 8 suspected illegal miners

    Personnel from the Operation Halt II team have seized 30 excavators believed to have been used in illegal mining activities popularly known as galamsey

    Phase two of the Operation which was initially a joint military-police team was relaunched on Tuesday 11 October 2022 to fight against illegal mining in forest reserves and river bodies.

    A statement signed by the Director of Public Relations of the Ghana Armed Forces, Naval Captain Michael Addo Larbi, stated that the “Operation made some gains within the period ending Monday 31 October 2022 by seizing 30 excavators, destroyed four (4) and immobilized four (4) others on site.”

    In addition to the seized excavators, the statement added that the team also “destroyed 103 Changfan machines, nine (9) water pumping machines, five (5) generator sets, two (2) fuel storage tanks and other improvised mining equipment and structures and seized an additional six (6) motorbikes and one (1) motor king tricycle.”

    The scope of the operations extended from the River Pra to the Birim River.

    “The operations were conducted at Kade, Ofoase, Oda, and Pra Anom along the banks of Rivers Birim and Pra in the Southern Command Area of Operational Responsibility. In the Central Command Area of Operational Responsibility, the operations were conducted at Yawkrom, Agroyesum and Takorase along the River Offin. Following these successful operations, there has been a gradual improvement in the turbidity of these Rivers.”

    Some eight persons suspected to be illegal miners were also arrested at Banda Nkwanta in the Northern Command Area.

    The Ghana Armed Forces prayed the general public to cooperate with the Operation to rid the country of the various destructions resulting from illegal mining activities.

  • Police in South Africa discover 21 bodies at the Krugersdorp mine

    Police in South Africa are investigating the discovery of at least 21 bodies of suspected illegal miners near an active mine in Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg.

    Police say 19 bodies were discovered on Wednesday afternoon, with two more discovered on Thursday morning. Police believe the bodies were moved to the location where they were discovered, which is a privately owned mine.

    “We can confirm that this morning our search and rescue team went back to the scene and, as they were searching, they discovered two more bodies,” police spokeswoman Brenda Muridili said Thursday. “They retrieved them from an open (mine) shaft.”

    The discovery is the latest in a series of incidents related to illegal mining in the Krugersdorp area. In July, eight female members of a film crew were raped and robbed at an abandoned mine in the area, where they were working on a music video shoot. The incident sparked violent protests against illegal miners in surrounding communities.

    Last week, rape and robbery charges against 14 men, who are also suspected of being illegal miners, were withdrawn after police couldn’t link them to the rapes through DNA evidence. The men were among more than 80 people arrested during police raids on the abandoned mine where the rapes took place.

    Illegal mining is rife in South Africa, with miners known locally as “zama zamas” searching for gold at the many disused and abandoned mines in and around the Johannesburg region. Krugersdorp is a mining town on the western edges of Johannesburg.

    Illegal mining gangs, usually armed, are considered dangerous by the police and are known to fight violent turf battles with rival groups. The trade is believed to be dominated by immigrants who enter illegally from neighboring countries Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.

    The 14 men who had rape and robbery charges against them dropped are accused of being in South Africa illegally and have been charged with immigration offenses.

  • No amount of fasting and prayers can stop galamsey – Bishop Adonteng Boateng

    A Ghanaian American-based preacher, Bishop Adonteng Boateng, has called on all stakeholders, including members of the clergy, to adopt a concerted approach in the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

    Reacting to a recent viral video where members of the clergy, during a fact-finding mission, were seen praying at the bank of a river polluted by galamsey, Bishop Adonteng Boateng called for pragmatic efforts instead of fasting and prayers in battling galamsey.

    “Prayers cannot stop galamsey and no amount of fasting can stop galamsey. My prayer is that the leadership of the country will rather make a concerted effort to help the people because at the end it is only a few people who benefit from galamsey at the expense of the larger population,” he told Oman Channel in an interview monitored by GhanaWeb.

    He emphasised that while the pastors may have had a clear motive in praying at the river bank, there is however the need for practicality to be used in curbing the galamsey menace.

    “I don’t know the motive with which the pastors went to pray at the river bank. It was probably to bring attention to the effects of galamsey and so I wouldn’t want to criticise them. Most of them are my fathers whom I hold in high regard,” he stated.

    Several of Ghana’s water and river bodies are currently under threat from the effects of illegal mining activities. This has led to various public calls on the government to take drastic measures in fighting the menace.

    Meanwhile, the Christian Council has declared Monday, October 24, 2022, to Sunday, October 30, 2022, as ‘National Week of Fasting and Prayers Against Galamsey’.

    In a release dated Monday, October 17, 2022, the council said “For many years now, our sovereign country Ghana has been witnessing under our very naked eyes, the saddest “environmental coup d’éta” ever unleashed upon our nation, heralding a programmed and complete “ecological disaster” or destruction.

    “We are calling for a week of fasting and prayers to pray for change of heart and for God’s mercy upon our nation for the destruction we have caused the environment 2. We call for the IMMEDIATE BAN of all small-scale mining,” it added.

     

  • Aisha Huang sells spare parts; she is not involved in galamsey – Effah Dartey

    Lawyer of Aisha Huang, Nkrabeah Effah Dartey, has said his client is engaged in the sale of spare parts contrary to claims that she is engaged in illegal mining (galamsey).

    According to him, under no circumstance did his client engage in any activities which involved digging the ground for gold.

    He adds that it’s sad that many have tagged her as ‘galamsey kingpin’ among other names.

    He said he hopes the court vindicates his client despite the Attorney General’s claim that he has documents and evidence to prove otherwise.

    “Aisha Huang is not involved in Galamsey; she sells spare parts for excavators. Aisha Huang has never stood on the lands of Bekwai or anywhere in the Ashanti Region to say she is digging gold. All she does is sell spare parts, but people have called her names, including galamsey kingpin. So let’s see what God will do since the matter is in court. I pray the law will be in the best interest of my client,” he said on Atinka radio during an interview monitored by GhanaWeb.

    Speaking on the refusal of the court to grant his client bail, he said if the court fails to grant her continuously, he will go to a higher court for bail.

    The Accra Court denied Aisha Huang’s request for bail through her lawyer.

    According to the court, she will be in police custody until the case is determined due to the nature of the case and also her being a flight risk.

     

     

  • GNASSM kicks against calls for ban on small-scale mining

    The Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM) has kicked against proposals for a ban on small-scale mining and threatened to fight any attempts by an institution to do so.

    According to the GNASSM, its members are still working to recover the losses and difficulties brought on by the restriction on their operations in 2017.

    The call was made in response to the ongoing environmental destruction and harm being done to water bodies around the nation as a result of illegal mining activities.

    This menace has compelled the Christian Council of Ghana and other civil society groups to call for an immediate ban on all small-scale mining activities to help fight against illegal mining activities effectively.

    At a press conference on October 18, dubbed “Ecumenical Leaders Press Conference on Galamsey,” religious leaders called for an immediate ban on small-scale mining to prevent degradation and pollution of the environment.

    However, speaking at a news conference in Kumasi, the General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners, Godwin Armah insisted members of the association would resist attempts to ban their operations.

    The Association, he said, had taken note with great concern of recent Ghanaian media discourse on the contamination of rivers and water bodies and environmental damage caused by the country’s illegal mining activities, and was working feverishly to help address the threat.

    He described calls for banning small-scale mining as insensitive and a lazy man’s approach in handling the illegal mining issues.

    “GNASSM believes that, the regulation of the small-scale mining sector should be a shared responsibility between the Government and the Association together with all other stakeholders and that recent calls by sections of the public for a ban on the small-scale mining sector is preposterous, insensitive and a lazy man’s approach to the issue,” he stated.

    The Association demanded a community enforcement approach to address the problem of illegal mining and stated that while it was a national concern, local governments should be structured effectively to control mining in their areas to prevent the problem from spreading.

    To manage mining-related issues in the community, they also called for the creation of committees in mining communities. These committees must collaborate closely with the District Mining Committees and will include some traditional leaders, religious leaders, representatives from the youth, and small-scale miners.

    GNASSM further proposed a restriction on the importation and use of Chanfang engines, which will make it difficult to dredge water bodies.

    Mr. Armah says government officials, especially local assemblies, should ensure their localities are free of illegal mining.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • Galamsey: Christian bodies to lead fight, starts with red armband on Sunday October 23

    Churches in Ghana will wear red banners on Sunday, October 23, 2022, to register their displeasure over the devastating effects of illegal mining, known as galamsey.

    The move, according to them, is part of their planned demonstration against the government and other authorities mandated to halt illegal mining but have failed to do so.

    President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso, speaking on Kumasi-based OTEC 102.9 FM’s breakfast show, “Nyansapo” on Thursday, October 20, 2022, said they would mobilize its members to embark on a massive protest to drum home their displeasure over the devastation caused by illegal mining.

    “The government and authorities in charge of regulating these mining activities have consistently failed the country, and so the church is now ready to lead the fight.”

    “We are leading the fight; the fight is in four phases. First, accepting our challenges and weaknesses, pledging that we won’t be part of it, telling the people that it is wrong [to engage in galamsey,” he told the programme’s host, Captain Koda.

    Prof Frimpong Manso, however, disclosed that the churches would soon come out with a specific date to stage the biggest-ever demonstration against illegal mining across the country.

    “On Sunday, all our churches will hoist red flags; the members will put red banners on their hands, heads, and any part of their bodies to show how unhappy the church is over the menace of galamsey.”

     

  • We haven’t issued permit to anyone to mine at Desiri forest reserve – Forestry Commission

    The Mankranso District Forest Services Division Manager, Mr. Godwin Agyemang has categorically stated that Forestry Commission has not issued permits to anyone to mine at Desiri Forest Reserve at Numesua near Tepa in the Ahafo Ano North Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

    Adding that his outfit and the forestry commission have no hands in the ongoing illegal mining, farms, and illegal loggers which present a major threat to the Reserve so they will ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.

    According to him, some stakeholders are doing community mining in the Desiri forest reserves which government and private developers have invested and they have made part of the reserve as a community and have erected temporal structures but the illegal activities have affected the water bodies and farmland.

    Speaking to the media, Mr. Agyemang vowed that they will not allow some people to destroy the forest for their parochial interest.

    He, therefore, appealed to residents and the media to collaborate with the commission to protect and preserve the reserve which has a collateral benefit for not only the area but the entire nation.

    Forest reserves in the Asunafo South, Asunafo North, Asutifi North, Asutifi South, and Ahafo Ano South for a long time has been under siege by illegal loggers and farmers who with support from influential opinion leaders are destroying the reserves with impunity.

    This has resulted in severe economic repercussions as some people have lost their livelihood to these activities and sometimes resulted in deaths due to violent attacks on them.

     

  • We failed Galamsey fight collectively, not just government – Lecturer

    The entire nation, not just the government, must share in the failure to effectively address illegal mining and its attendant devastation.

    Law lecturer and practitioner, Mr. Kwame Gyan insists the failure is a collective one, explaining that everyone has a role to play to ensure the safety of the country and its resources.

    According to him, there is no need in apportioning blame to a particular government or the other.

    In an interview on JoyFM’s Super Morning Show, Mr Gyan said Ghanaians should focus on the impacts of the menace seen now and how it can be addressed once and for all.

    We failed Galamsey fight collectively, not just government - Lecturer
    Kwame Gyan

    He insisted that, until that is done, the menace will continue resurfacing after fights upon fights by governments.

    “The fight against illegal mining (galamsey) is a collective fight. What we are all calling a failure is a collective failure. We shouldn’t blame anybody. So if you sit here today and say it is the current government that has failed in the fight, I will not agree.

    We failed Galamsey fight collectively, not just government - Lecturer
    Kwame Gyan

    “We Ghanaians, any time we fall, love to concentrate on where we have fallen instead of concentrating on where we slipped and fell.

    “So, we should not look at just what we are seeing today and ascribe responsibility that it is just this current government that has not been able to deal with galamsey or illegal mining,” he insisted.

    The government’s anti-galamsey policies and strategies have come under criticism with many questioning the will to rid the country of the menace.

    Last week, the Akufo-Addo administration came under fire from Asantehene, who claims the much-touted fight is shrouded in falsehood.

    According to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the fight would remain a sham unless the appropriate individuals, particularly financiers, who are responsible for the illegal mining scourge, are identified.

    “Are they saying they don’t know those behind galamsey in Ghana? The gold ends up being sold abroad. So who is behind the sale of gold abroad? Is it not the financier? How come he is not arrested?”

    But Mr Gyan believes everyone has a role to play in ending the menace.

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • Blaming unemployment for illegal mining wrong – Rev. Frimpong-Manso

    The President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso, has said the argument that people are actively engaged in illegal mining due to a lack of jobs should not be encouraged.

    According to the council, the lack of jobs should not be the reason for perpetuating illegality and causing environmental degradation.

    In an interview with Citi News, Rev. Frimpong Manso said “what you are saying [with this argument] is that the end justifies the means, and if we do this, somebody will go and sell drugs because there are no jobs.”

    “When we bring these kinds of things into our national discourse, then we are not aiming for development and progress,” he added.

    The government has in the past few years launched and implemented strategies to help deal with the illegal mining problem and its effects on the environment.

    But illegal mining has remained on the ascendancy as river bodies, forest reserves and farmlands have all been destroyed.

    Rev. Frimpong-Manso also lamented the failure of institutions to strictly enforce mining laws.

    “The institutions are not working,” he complained.

    Rev. Frimpong-Manso thus said a ban on all mining needed to be put in place “until processes and procedures have been put in place.”

    Source: Citinews

  • Children opt for galamsey instead of school

    The talk about illegal gold mining, locally referred to as galamsey, has gone on for years with the pollution of water bodies and destruction of environment always taking centre stage of discussions.

    However, there appears to be a serious component of the menace that also has a rippling effect on the country but has been left out of the conversation.

    This has to do with the effect of illegal mining on education.

    In this report, 3news.com explores how children in mining communities are prioritizing galamsey at the expense of their education.

    EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTIONS

    Several interventions like Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE), capitation grants, free feeding program, free school uniforms, free SHS, among others, have and are being rolled out by governments to increase school enrollment, attendance and academic performance in all parts of the country.

    This is in line with efforts to meet the Sustainable Development Goal 4 target of ensuring access to quality universal education for all by 2030.

    Also, the 1992 Constitution gives further push to the provision of education as a basic right for all Ghanaians. Article 25(a) states: “All persons shall have the right to equal educational opportunities and facilities and with a view to achieving the full realization of that right – basic education shall be free, compulsory and available to all”.

    However, a great deal of Ghana’s success in growing enrolment is being thwarted by increasing student drop-out rates in several mining communities.

    CHILDREN ABANDON CLASSROOM TO DO MINING

    Scores of children are abandoning the classroom to do galamsey in mining areas like Peminase in the Juaben municipality of Ashanti Region.

    The small mining town with a population of about 800 is struggling to deal with the negative impact of the illegal activity on education.

    At Peminase M/A JHS, only 12 out of 30 Form 3 students were in school preparing for their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), which was barely two days ahead at the time the news team visited.

    “You can find most of the 18 students who are absent today at the mining site working,” says Kwabena Asiamah, a teacher.

    Opoku Clement Sebastian is the headteacher of Peminase M/A JHS.

    “The enrolment in the school is always declining due to the increasing illegal mining activities. Because the school serves other adjoining communities, we used to have a population of close to 200 some five years ago but currently we only have 83. Even with the 83, the truancy rate among the male students is alarming.”

    Opoku Clement, Headteacher, Peminase M/A JHS 

    At the mining site, six school-age going children between the ages of 13 and 17 are busily working instead of being in the classroom.

    These children engage in mining for several reasons but the common is owing to financial constraints of their parents.

    “Together with 3 of my friends, we have stopped schooling and now engaged in illegal mining. The money we earn is what we use to cater for our needs and that of our parents. I would wish to one day continue with my education,” a 14-year-old JHS 2 pupil shared.

    For 15-year-old Adusei, “this is the only work in this community and we involve ourselves because our parents don’t have the financial strength to cater for us”.

    The job, according to him, is based on luck because on a good day “each of us earns 700 cedis a day”.

    The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has indicated that the prevalence of children in mining is growing. Thousands of children are into gold mining activities in areas within the Western, Central and Ashanti regions and this according to the organization is “a serious violation of children’s rights that puts children’s health and safety at risk and deprives them of an education”.

    More worrying is the worst-case scenario where some of the pupils lose their lives while mining.

    “At least six of our students have lost their lives at the mining site within the past 3 years. But still, this appears not to deter most of them from going to the site to work,” visibly worried Mr Sebastian said.

    At Yapese in the Bosome Freho District in the Ashanti Region, the situation has improved a little bit with the clampdown on illegal miners.

    Some of the children have returned to school but others are yet to.

    Asare Bediako

    Chairman of Yapese Methodist Primary School Management Committee Asare Bediako noted that “it is the responsibility of parents to make sure their children have come to school. Government will do its part of providing infrastructure and conducive learning environment, teachers will also play their role of teaching so it is the duty of the parent to ensure the child goes to school. We have engaged parents several times to conscientize them on the need to prioritize the education of their wards but others are adamant”.

    PEMINASE COMMUNITY LEADERS INTERVENTION

    The increase in these illegal mining activities has brought about retrogression in education at Peminase.

    To reverse this disturbing trend, the traditional authority and unit committee of the community have proffered some sanctions to parents who look on for their children to do galamsey at the expense of their education.

    “Any child caught doing galamsey instead of being in school, his parents would be fined GH¢1,500 and the owner of the concession will also be fined GH¢2,000. We want our children to be educated for a better future,” caretaker chief and Akwamuhene of the area, Nana Kofi Owusu II, stated.

    Nana Kofi Owusu II

    The unit committee members have sought the assistance of the police to aid them move to sites and arrest school-going age children who involve themselves in mining at the expense of their education.

    “Some parents are uncooperative because their children bring them money when they go and mine. So, they’re more interested about the money more than the education of the children. We will soon go after them because we can’t allow this to continue. Education for children at the primary and JHS level is compulsory,” Peminase Unit Committee Vice Chairman Kwasi Owusu Sekyere explained.

    Kwasi Owusu Sekyere

    The district and regional education directorates have admitted to this challenge but yet to speak to on the issue.

    Ghana is signatory to the international convention of the rights of the child that declared education a right of every child of school age.

    To give meaning to the access and participation component of the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education programme, there is the need for all stakeholders in the education sector to join hands and ensure children of school age remain in the classroom.

     

  • Operation Halt II: 30 excavators seized by soldiers – Lands minister

    The Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has revealed that the military, in collaboration with the lands ministry, has seized nearly 30 excavators from various illegal mining sites.

    Addressing the media on the issue, Mr Jinapor said, the seizure is proof of Operation Halt II’s effectiveness in Ghana’s illegal mining fight.

    “As I speak with you, they have seized almost 30 excavators. It has already begun. It started about two or three days ago, and it’s going to be sustainable”

    He said in this phase of the operation “the military would take full responsibility” and that this time their operation would not be time-bound.

    “The soldiers are going to go on for as long as it takes. They will decide. They will make those decisions, not I, the Minister… They will have command and control responsibility in terms of when to go, how to go, where to go, and how to go about their operations; all of it will be in the hands of the military. We are responsible for policy but they will conduct operational implementation,” he said.

    Topreventanykindofgovernmental interference, “command and control” on the ground has been entrusted to the hands of the military so that any government official found complicit would be dealt with according to the law without compromise.

    Amongst the several policies implemented by the government to combat illegal mining activities across the country is Operation Vanguard(OV). Vanguard, a joint military-police operation to combat galamsey, was initiated in mid-2017.

    However, the military was abruptly withdrawn from Vanguard in March 2020, only to be reinstalled in late April 2021. Later on, operation halt was introduced.

    Operation halt

    According to research by the Danish Institute for International Studies, Operation Halt was established to end the illegal exploitation of another natural resource, timber, especially in Brong-Ahafo and the Western Region.

    Operation Halt I ended in December 2021, with the 10th phase of the operation being launched against the activities of illegal miners on the River Birim and its tributaries in the Eastern Region.

    However, on December 21st, 2021, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker, announced that measures were being put in place to relaunch Operation Halt.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • ‘Galamsey’ fight full of lies, give us a break! – Otumfuo tells government

    The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has described the country’s fight against galamsey as a charade.

    Addressing sub-chiefs in the region at the first General Meeting of the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs in 2022, the Ashanti Kingdom’s paramount chief bemoaned the government’s failure to effectively combat the canker, despite measures in place to curb it.

    Dissatisfied with the situation, the Asantehene referred to the efforts as a sham.

    “I hate these lies. The fight is full of lies. I hate lies. They should give us a break. It is full of lies,” he stressed.

    Venting his spleen, he alleged that the government is very much aware of the financiers and true perpetrators of illegal mining, however, they have employed gimmicks to shield such persons.

    This, according to him, is the main factor derailing the fight against galamsey.

    “Are they saying they don’t know those behind galamsey in Ghana? The gold ends up being sold abroad. So who is behind the sale of gold abroad? Is it not the financier? How come he is not arrested?” he asked.

    “You send military men to galamsey sites; they end up arresting labourers covered with mud. Can this man be the one behind galamsey? This is someone hired by a big fish to work at his site. Who is the final receiver of the gold? How come the one who bought excavators is left off the hook?” a baffled Asantehene could not hold back his frustration.

    He believes once the financier is arrested, galamsey will be a thing of the past.

    Expressing his frustrations further, he noted that “the military as usual photographs a poor labourer whose body is always covered in dirt; a man who receives partly 200, 300 cedis from a financier. Then they say they have arrested galamsey operators. You will find nothing on that man when he is searched,” he noted.

    “What then happens to the financier? How come he is not arrested,” he further asked.

    The Galamsey fight

    Recall that President Akufo-Addo in 2017, put his presidency on the line with a commitment to end illegal small-scale mining, popularly called galamsey, in Ghana.

    However, five years down the line, the galamsey fight has been described by many as a lost battle, following failed efforts to efficiently deal with the menace.

    At the meeting of the chiefs, the Asantehene bemoaned the adverse impact of galamsey and its related activities on the environment and questioned his sub-chiefs on their efforts to curb the menace.

    Also, he cautioned them against taking incentives from perpetrators of illegal mining, adding that “whoever has benefited financially from galamsey will surely pay for it.”

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • I’ll end galamsey before end of my tenure – President Akufo-Addo assures

    The President Akufo-Addo, has emphasised his stance on illegal mining and said he will put a stop to it before his tenure of office ends.

    He mentioned that of late, there had been so much talk about the illegal mining activities, popularly called “galamsey” and that “means that serious work to end the menace was ongoing.”

    The President had paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene at the Manhyia Palace, yesterday, as part of a four-day working tour in some parts of the Ashanti Region.

    Addo (right) exchanging greetings with Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II

    Prior to the interaction, the President and his entourage had worshiped at the St Cyprian’s Diocese at Fanti Newtown, where a visiting Bishop of Warrington, Liverpool in the United Kingdom, Bishop Beverly A. Mason, preached the sermon and offered a special prayer for him.

     Many people, the President noted, had been saying my government had done nothing in the Ashanti Region, “but after the four-day tour, they would see what have been done.”

    As part of the tour, which begun yesterday, the President would inaugurate  some projects such as the residential accommodation for the Court of Appeal judges at Danyame.

    The sod cutting for the commencement of work on the complex which would be  permanent residential facilities for Court of Appeal judges, was performed by the President with the support of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and Chief Justice Anin Yeboah, on April 20, this year.

    With the collaboration of the Ministry of Local Government and the District Assembly Common Fund, 20 townhouses and a guesthouse have been built to be used as permanent residences for Court of Appeal Judges, who would be mandated to handle cases in the northern part of the country.

    He would also commission the ECG KATH 33/11kv primary substation constructed under the EDSTREP project, at Subin, in Kumasi.

    There would be a durbar of chiefs and people of Toase for the inauguration  of the Town’s Magistrate Court.

    The President would have a crunch meeting with MMDCEs, Regional Executives and Constituency chairmen only, perhaps to reiterate his stance to stop illegal mining(galamsey) and to punish culprits in the party.

    Other programmes outlined included the inauguration of maize processing factory at NsutaKwaman under the 1D1F and also inspect agenda 111 project at Beposo.

    Inspection of Anwia-Nkwanta-Obuasi, Santasi-Apire roads would also be undertaken.

     

  • ‘Give us a break,’ – Asantehene hits hard at government’s anti-galamsey fight

    The government’s anti-galamsey policies and strategies have come under fire from Asantehene, who claims they are shrouded in falsehood.

    According to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the fight would remain a sham unless the appropriate individuals, particularly financiers, who are responsible for the illegal mining scourge are identified.

    Addressing members of the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs, an unhappy Asantehene insisted that the arrest of laborers at galamsey sites, instead of the site owners, smacks of failure.

    “I hate these lies. The fight is full of lies. I hate lies. They should give us a break.  It is full of lies,” he said in Twi.

    The government’s fight against illegal mining has hit a snag despite the introduction of military-led interventions such as Operation Vanguard, Galamstop and Operation Halt.

    A recent Joynews Hotline Documentary, “Destruction for Gold”, shed light on destruction of farmlands, forest reserves and water bodies by illegal mining operations.

    An emotional Asantehene described as worrying, the trend where wrong people are targeted with no effort to arrest financiers, including those who procure excavators and heavy equipment, for the illegal act.

    He also wants those who benefit from gold produced from illegal activities tracked and brought to book.

    “You send military men to galamsey sites; they end up arresting labourers covered with mud. Can this man be the one behind galamsey?

    “This is someone hired by a big fish to work at his site. Who is the final receiver of the gold?

    “How come the one who bought excavators is left off the hook? The military as usual photograph a poor labourer whose body is always covered in dirt; a man who receives partly 200, 300 cedis from a financier.

    “Then they say they have arrested galamsey operators. You will find nothing on that man when he is searched.

    What then happens to the financier? How come he is not arrested,” he said in Twi.

    “Are they saying they don’t know those behind galamsey in Ghana?  The gold ends up being sold abroad. So who is behind the sale of gold abroad? Is it not the financier? How come he is not arrested?

    Once the financier is arrested, we will put an end to galamsey so our water bodies can be saved,” he added.

    Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs www,myjoyonline.com
    Members of the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs

    The Asantehene has also warned that chiefs under his authority who profit from the illegal mining business would pay dearly for their deeds.

    “Whoever has benefited financially from galamsey will surely pay for it. All of us would pay dearly if we decide to tackle the menace lackadaisically.

    As for the government, they know the culprits but has failed to arrest them.

    Their own is full of lies; they should give us a break

    We are partly to be blamed. All of us must accept our mistakes and move the fight forward.”

    Friday’s meeting was the first General Meeting of the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs in 2022 chaired by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

    Source: Myjoyonline

     

  • Government committed to stopping illegal mining – Abu Jinapor

    The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, has reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to the fight against illegal small-scale mining.

    He warned that any individual engaged in or funding illegal small-scale mining would face the full rigours of the law.

    The Minister, who was briefing the press in Accra on Thursday on the renewed efforts in the military operations, also known as Operation Halt II, said the government would prosecute all persons engaged in this menace.

    “Under the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995, the punishment for foreigners engaged in illegal mining is 20 years imprisonment, plus a fine of not less than 1.2 million Ghana Cedis, plus deportation after serving the sentence.

    And for Ghanaians, the minimum punishment is 15 years imprisonment and a fine of
    GHC120,000.00,” he stated.

    The Minister indicated that Operation Halt II would continue to support measures put in place to ensure that river bodies and forests are rid of illegal miners such as the continuous declaration of river bodies as red zones for mining, suspensions of reconnaissance and prospecting activities in Forest Reserves and the procurement of speed boats to patrol the river
    bodies.

    Mr Abu Jinapor said he joined the Attorney-General in court for the prosecution of four Chinese nationals involved in illegal mining, including Aisha Huang.
    “The Office of the Attorney-General is working to ensure expeditious trial in these matters and if found culpable, they will be made to face the full rigours of the law,” he stated.

    According to the Minister, the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, met with the
    National House of Chiefs and urged them to rally behind the government in this fight.
    “This is because, every galamsey site, falls within the jurisdiction of traditional authority. And if the traditional authorities stand with us and we can come to grips with this matter.

    “The President also met with MMDCEs and has charged them to ensure that they rid their jurisdiction of illegal small-scale mining,” he added.

    He disclosed that the government has rolled out advertisements on television and radio, to educate the general public about the dire consequences of illegal mining.

    “So that people like the 62-year-old man who sold his cocoa farm to galamseyers for GHC30,000.00 will appreciate the consequences of their actions on the nation and future generations,” he emphasized.

  • Media Coalition Against Galamsey suggests ban on all surface mining

    The Media Coalition Against Galamsey (MCAG) wants an immediate ban on all forms of small-scale and surface mining in the country as part of efforts to curb mining activities destroying the environment.

    The directive among six others will “allow our water bodies and forests to begin to be restored and strategize a way to bring sanity to all surface mining activities in Ghana”, the Coalition said in a statement.

    The group believes that urgent and radical measures need to be adopted by the Government that will result in a positive change in the state of our water bodies and the preservation of our environment.

    1. Order all small-scale and surface mining activities to stop IMMEDIATELY to allow our water bodies and forests to begin to be restored, and strategize a way to bring sanity to all surface mining activities in Ghana.

    2. Ensure that the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended, is enforced without fear or favour. ‘Powerful’ people involved in Galamsey activities in the country should be exposed and sanctioned to serve as a deterrent.

    3. Arrest, investigate and prosecute everyone involved in the illegality including the Akonta Mining Ltd and its Directors, Bernard Bosiako and Kwame Antwi, for illegally mining in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve as well as breaching (Section 99(6) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended by mining very close along the banks of Tano River.

    4. Sack any MCE/DCE in whose areas of jurisdiction illegal mining has taken place and still continues based on evidence on the ground.

    5. Ministers and their deputies, whose responsibility it is to regulate the mining sector, have failed Ghana. They must also be sacked for disappointing present and unborn generations.

    6. Explore the provision of gainful, alternative employment to persons engaged in Galamsey.

    7. Ensure that the above punitive measures are implemented before Farmer’s Day this year as these activities directly impact adversely the efforts of our gallant farmers.

    The Coalition maintains there is and can be no conceivable justification for illegal mining to continue in Ghana.

    “The Media Coalition Against Galamsey is therefore calling on well-meaning Ghanaians, Civil Society Organizations to join hands with the media to help mount continued pressure on our Leaders, both Political and Traditional, to help save Ghana’s water bodies and preserve our environment for future generations.”

    “Losing this war is not an option. Irresponsible and unsustainable mining is an existential threat and should not be countenanced”.

    Source: Citinews

  • Don’t tarnish your image in defending accused illegal miners – Amaliba tells Blay

    Director of Legal Affairs for the National Democratic Congress, Abraham Amaliba has advised the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman, Freddie Blay to recuse himself from defending Chinese illegal miners in court.

    The former Chairman is representing some Chinese nationals standing trial for their alleged involvement in illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey in the country.

    Critics say Mr. Blay’s move defeats the government’s effort in fighting the menace which has left many water bodies and forest reserves destroyed.

    Commenting on the issue on Starr Today with Joshua Kodjo Mensah, the NDC’s legal director indicated that Mr. Blay should not be seen as compounding issues for the government as it wages war against the galamsey menace.

    “So for the sake of the people of this country who are also fighting the galamsey menace,let me not involve myself in the matter. Sometimes your conscience should tell you what you should do.

    “What has even compounded the issue is that in this whole saga of galamsey, the government officials have been fingered to be engaging in it. That is a new dimension.

    “Our fight against galamsey, we are now seeing that names of appointees have been mentioned. Then you (Freddie Blay) compound the problem for the government by defending those who have been mentioned as accomplices,” Mr. Amaliba stated.

    He continued: “I think he is a senior lawyer, it is not always that you follow money. He will get his money alright but his image will be tarnished.

    “I have done similar cases and where I feel that the people see my services will create the wrong impression I’ve given those cases to colleagues, who are not in the same situation that I find myself.”

    The NDC legal director further added that Mr. Blay should hand over the case to any of his lawyers who are not connected to the NPP to handle it.

    “Don’t forget Nkrabea Effah is also there as a lawyer and you are also there as lawyer and the government officials have been fingered as contributing to the menace,” he said.

  • ‘The right thing must be done’ – Ashigbey on Freddie Blay, illegal miners case

    The Media Coalition against Galamsey has expressed concern about the representation of four alleged illegal miners by law firm of the former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay.

    The accused persons are being tried alongside galamsey kingpin, Aisha Huang, for engaging in activities of illegal mining.

    However, critics have questioned the commitment of the government to the fight with the development of the legal representation of the accused miners.

    Speaking to Citi News on the matter, the Convener for the Coalition, Dr. Ken Ashigbey, said though the situation presents risks, the role of the media is critical to ensure that the tenets of the law are upheld.

    “It’s a wrong impression that some people have. The fact that my law firm is defending them does not mean that government supports and is involved in illegal mining. We all support efforts against galamsey. Personally, I am against galamsey.”

    “This does not mean that innocent people should not be represented. Let’s wait for the court to decide. At the end of the day, we will know the truth, that my clients are innocent. They have done nothing wrong and are not involved in galamsey”, he added.

    Source: Citinews

  • Aisha Huang has employed only NPP lawyers since 2017 – Ablakwa provides evidence

    Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has observed a close relationship between illegal small-scale mining kingpin, Aisha Huang and lawyers belonging to the governing New Patriotic Party, NPP.

    Ablakwa, while commenting on the recent disclosure that four accomplices standing trial with Ms. Huang in a case before the Accra Circuit Court, were represented by immediate past NPP National Chairman, Freddie Blay; said he wasn’t in the least surprised.

    He revealed that as far back as 2017, when Huang got entangled in legal issues, her first two lawyers were affiliated with the NPP but the government pushed for a change in lawyers for Huang.

    “After her first arrest, Aisha Huang’s earlier lawyers of choice were Mr. Bernard Owiredu Donkor and Mr. Ellis Owusu-Fordwouh,” Ablakwa said in a post dated October 12.

    The former he noted went on to become the NPP’s Parliamentary Candidate for Akwatia in the 2020 General Elections.

    Aisha Huang’s current lawyer is a former Berekum MP, Nkrabeah Effah Dartey, who has been her representative since 2018.

    It emerged only yesterday that Freddie Blay was the main lawyer for Huang’s four co-accused in a case related to galamsey.

    Lucy Ekeleba Blay, a private legal practitioner, said she was holding brief for Freddie Blay in the case of the four accomplices in the persons of Gao Jin Cheng, Lu Qi Jun, Haibin Go and Zhang Zhipeng.

    The plea of three of the accused persons has been taken with that of the last deferred due to the unavailability of a Vietnamese translator.

    Meanwhile, Godfred Yeboah Dame, the Attorney-General, indicated to the court the state’s readiness to expeditiously dispose of the case and will be willing to try the case on a day-after-day basis.

    He observed that the judge superintending over the case has “also indicated his inclination to conduct the case in that manner.”

    “In respect of Aisha Huang, we have filed most of the documents to be relied on, we have filed witness statements of four witnesses. We only need to fill about four more,” Dame added.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • There won’t be a miscarriage of justice – NPP on Freddie Blay’s role in Aisha Huang trial

    The governing New Patriotic Party, NPP, is of the view that justice will be served in the matter involving the state versus Aisha Huang and four others in a case involving illegal small-scale mining activities.

    This according to the party is despite the fact that lawyers affiliated with it are representing the accused persons.

    Speaking on Accra-based Joy FM, the party’s Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagbah maintained that the court will at all times deal with evidence put before it by parties to the case.

    He contended further that it was within the right of an accused person to get legal representation in court and consequently it was also right for the NPP-affiliated lawyers to render professional services to such persons.

    “If it is a matter of conscience then we should say that there shouldn’t be legal representation for criminals or for somebody who has killed somebody or is alleged to have killed somebody. As conscience will dictate, we should all abhor such behavior and therefore no lawyer as matter of conscience should want to defend any such act

    “I don’t think there will be any miscarriage of justice because the lawyers in the case are NPP related or have affiliations with the New Patriotic Party. The idea is that every client deserves a representation.

    “Our laws allows for that, so the client have exercised their right to have legal representation and those happens to be people affiliated with the NPP. I don’t think that necessarily changes the rules of the court which is evidence,” Ahiagbah said.

    It emerged that former NPP Chairman, Freddie Blay, is the main lawyer for Aisha Huang’s accomplices namely Gao Jin Cheng, Lu Qi Jun, Haibin Go and Zhang Zhipeng, in the prosecution.

    Aisha Huang together with her four other accomplices made a court appearance yesterday October 11 for the state to continue with their prosecution.

    Private attorney Lucy Ekeleba Blay said in court that she was holding brief for Freddie Blay in the case of the four accomplices. Another NPP affiliated lawyer, Nkrabea Effah Darteh is representing Aisha Huang.

    Meanwhile, Attorney General Godfred Dame has indicated his readiness to fast-track the prosecution of Aisha Huang for her past and previous crimes.

    Ms. Huang and her accomplices have been remanded into custody until November 24, 2022 following the judge’s refusal to grant them bail.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Deputy Lands Minister declares war on illegal miners

    The Deputy Lands Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, responsible for Lands  Forestry Hon. Benito Owusu-Bio has sounded a clear warning to illegal miners to stay off forest reserves as he stressed that regardless of positions, they will be driven out and sanctioned.” No matter who you are, we don’t care, if you enter the forest reserves we will drive you out and sanction you as well”

    He intimated that the forest reserves are not for mining but was quick to add that unless for exceptional cases like that of Chirano mines and Newmont who have been granted legal licences to operate “but that doesn’t mean that anyone can just jump into the forest to mine and if we find you like that, we will deal with you”

    The Deputy Minister said this when he paid a working visit to Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve to ascertain the veracity of news of Akonta Mining Company still operating in the forest even after the directive by the Lands Minister to the Forestry Commission to halt the company’s operations in the Forest through a Press Release on 30th September, 2022.

    It will be recalled that the Ministry’s Press statement pointed out that “while Akonta Mining Limited has a mining lease to undertake mining operations in some parts of Somreboi, outside the Forest Reserve, the company has no mineral rights to undertake mining operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.

    After an aerial view of the entire forest, Hon. Benito Owusu-Bio and his team spotted about three site in the forests with some equipment but no operations and immediately charged the forestry officers to burn and decommission everything on the site upon arrival.

    The team also discovered a different group of illegal miners, working along the banks and edges of the river and a few in the forest. Per the map guiding that aerial view 98% of the miners were outside the restricted area, which are the banks and edges while the remaining 2% worked in the Forest reserves itself. It could however not be determined which mining company these miners belong to.

    Addressing the issue of this new group of illegal miners found mining on the river he said “these are not small scale miners, these are obviously people who are just burnt on destroying our forests, waterbodies and the entire environment but I cannot tell wether that is Akonta or any other company because this is not organised so I can say it’s purely illegal mining that is going on there!”


    He assured the media that as a matter of urgency the Ministry will unleash Operations halt II to the area who with speed boats and the right equipment will bring a halt to all activities ongoing in the river. “With what we have seen here, I will report to the Minister and we would immediately see how we can strategize and bring the operationas to a halt with the speed boats recently pocured to chase them out”

    He also noted that together with the Forestry Commission and Samartex, a timber company in the enclave they will soon beef up the number of forest guards who patrol the 300sq kilometer forest with support from the military.

    The Deputy Lands Minister warned that with the help of the military, the Ministry and the Forestry Commission will embark on similar operations in all forest reserves across the country to ensure they rid all forests of illegalities of any sort. “This will not stop here, we know this is not the only forest reserves under attack and so we will continue to ensure all forest with any illegal activity is brought under scrutiny”

    Hon. Benito called on the community members and traditional leaders of the Amenfi West Municipality of the Western Region to join in the fight against illegal mining for their own sake and for the betterment of the environment and the country.

    The Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Mr. John Allotey on his part gave details to the extent of the devastation saying out of a total area of 205sq kilometer, close to about 0.12sq kilometer of the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve has been impacted upon by the illegal activities.

    He noted that since August when the Commission started having the challenge of groups trooping into the forest to mine, the Commission have sent out the military to the area about 8 times all in efforts to keep them out of the forest.

    He assured that heeding to the directives of the Hon. Minister, the Commission is committed to ensuring that all those found culpable to this matter will be dealt with in accordance with the Law.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Lands Minister defends Mireku Duker over galamsey allegations

    The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has jumped to the defence of his Deputy, George Mireku Duker who has been hit with allegations of involving himself in illegal mining activities.

    According to the minister, he has no reason to believe such allegations as he is confident that his deputy would not be involved in such illegality.

    “I think that the matters are still at play and the minister has denied it flatly. I have full confidence in the minister in my ministry and I don’t think he will ever be involved in any such conduct,” the minister told the press on Tuesday, October 11, 2022.

    Amidst public calls on the government to take drastic measures in the fight against galamsey, George Mireku Duker and some members of the current government, as well as members of the ruling New Patriotic Party, have been accused of being involved in galamsey.

    But the minister for lands and natural resources emphasised that it will only be through an investigation that the allegations against his deputy can be established or otherwise.

    “They have denied it and if there is any substance to any such allegations, I think the best way to proceed is to conduct investigations,” he said.

    Mr Jianpor who was addressing the press after alleged Chinese galamsey kingpin, Aisha Huang was brought to the Accra High Court noted government’s commitment to fight galamsey by all means possible, including through prosecutions.

    “As you can tell, this Aisha Huang lady, the government of President Akufo-Addo is committed to bring her and other persons who are involved in illegal mining to face the full rigours of our laws in this country,” he said.

    Aisha Huang remanded indefinitely for trial

    Chinese National, Aisha Huang, who is in court for her involvement in illegal mining activities (galamsey) in Ghana, has been remanded to police custody by the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court.

    Presiding Judge Lydia Osei Marfo, during a sitting on Friday, October 11, 2022, refused the plea of her lawyer, Nkrabea Effah Dartey, after the latter argued that his client deserved bail.

    According to the judge, all arguments previously made against his plea for bail, including his client’s flight risk, remain and will not be changed.

    She added that his constant presence in court with his client would be the only way to ensure the case is heard accordingly for the determination of his client’s fate.

    State Prosecutor Godfred Dame, on his part, reiterated government’s commitment to ensuring the case is duly heard and that the accused are prosecuted if found guilty.

    Aisha Huang is in court over charges of mining without a license and engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals, four other charges, including undertaking a mining operation without a license.

    She is also facing four other charges, including undertaking a mining operation without a license, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation, illegal employment of foreign nationals, and entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry were filed at the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court on Friday, September 16, 2022.

    Her case has since been adjourned to October 24, 2022, for case management.

  • NPP people are the problem in the fight against galamsey – Titus Glover

    Former Member of Parliament for Tema East, Titus Nii Kwartei Glover, has blamed elements within the ruling New Patriotic Party for the government’s failure to defeat illegal mining.

    According to the former MP, while some members of the party are embroiled in the galamsey menace, those appointed at the local level to fight the menace have failed to discharge their mandate.

    “The difficulty is our own people in there. My own NPP people. Do you think I am afraid to talk about it? It is my own NPP people who are making the fight against galamsey difficult. It is a fact. The law says don’t mine on our river bodies.

    “If the soldiers are sent in to drive away the galamseyers and they leave, the District Security Council led by the MCE what do they do? The Regional Security Council is also responsible for security at that level what do they do? So every time soldiers have to be moved from Accra to these areas to fight the menace? That is not good,” he said on Adom TV’s morning programme.

    Rampant illegal mining activities have resulted in the degradation of several forest covers and the pollution of various water bodies.

    This has resulted in a renewed public discussion on illegal mining activities.

    Various calls have been made for the government to take drastic steps to curb the menace.

    Last week, President Akufo-Addo met with members of the National House of Chiefs and MMDCEs in galamsey areas.

    The meeting by the president was to fashion out some solutions to the galamsey issues.

     

  • What is your vision? I’ll school you when I become president – Odike to Ashanti chiefs

    The founder and leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Akwasi Addai Odike, has accused traditional authorities in Ghana, particularly chiefs in the Ashanti Region, of ruling their subjects without a vision.

    According to him, most of the chiefs are only interested in the pride and pageantry that comes with being chiefs and do not have any plans to improve the livelihood of their subjects.

    Odike accused the chiefs of selling off all the lands that have been entrusted to them to illegal miners whose activities are now endangering the lives of their subjects.

    “The lives of your subjects are not important to you (the chiefs). You are only interested in selling our lands to enrich yourself. Akufo-Addo has only two years of his term as president left. He will not be president forever. But you, the chief, will be chief till you die, and all the destruction you are causing in the environment with the help of Akufo-Addo will be your burden.

    “…When I become president, I will school you on leadership. You people (the chiefs) do not understand leadership. We don’t rule people by oppressing them. We rule with a vision. What is your vision? Tell us the vision you have for the Ashanti land.

    “How can you call yourself leaders? People travel abroad and make money to come and bid to be chiefs. As they are bidding to become chiefs, all they think about is how they are going to sell lands to enrich themselves. Their mindset is to only sell land; they don’t think about what is going to happen to their grandchildren,” he said in Twi in an Onua TV interview monitored by GhanaWeb.

    He added that should he become president, he will review the country’s land tenure so that chiefs will not have 100 percent ownership of lands under their jurisdiction.

    The Kumasi Traditional Council, in August 2022, performed rituals to banish Odike for accusing Ashanti chiefs of condoning illegal mining.

    According to the Kumasi Traditional Council, the businessman turned politician made inciteful statements that the Council deemed to be distasteful, unsubstantiated, and meant to dent the image of Manhyia.

    Odike, in an interview on Oyerepa Radio, berated the chiefs for failing to help end the ‘galamsey’ menace.

    He went ahead to urge the youth to rise and demonstrate against the chiefs if the traditional rulers fail to come clean on their roles in or stance against illegal mining.