The Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM), Ben Annan, has accused Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCE) as well as party executives of the NPP of engaging in galamsey through the Community Mining Programme (CMP) introduced by Government.
According to him, the CMP was deliberately created to give powers to MMDCEs and party executives to oversee the operations of illegal mining and ultimately do so with impunity.
Speaking to Sefa Danquah on the ‘Epa Hoa Daben’ show, he alleged: “The interministerial appointees have deliberately created what we call ‘community mining’ and they have placed the overseeing of mining activities under party members. Usually, the chairpersons of community mining are the MMDCEs alongside the party executives.
The issue is that if you let the community become aware that the MMDCEs are the leads, they mine with impunity knowing very well that they cannot be arrested by anyone so far as they are under the MMDCE. This is our problem. If you look at the rate at which they are using the community mining to destroy our environment and virgin forests with soldiers guiding them to destroy the environment, all I can say is that if Jinapor can withstand this then it will be good.
I am emphatically stating that the ongoing galamsey is caused by the MCEs, party executives and national executives and MPs”.
When questioned by Sefa Danquah of his basis of these allegations, he reasoned that if some people can employ the services of military men to guard them in engaging in galamsey, then that would mean that such persons wield some form of high power in the country.
“Have you forgotten that Sir John of Forestry commission plainly said that bigwigs who have taken over the galamsey business are even bigger than him? Did you not hear that? Do I have more influence than Sir John?”, he questioned.
As part of the Government’s efforts to ensure regulated, responsible and sustainable mining in the country, the Community Mining Programme (CMP) was introduced.
The Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation at that time, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, said the program was a major step towards reducing illegal small scale mining, formalizing mining activities as well as giving all miners training and official cover.
Meanwhile, the Minister designate for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, has said that the Government’s fight against illegal mining has not failed.
Rather, the Government has shown so much commitment to the fight against Galamsey and must thus be commended.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah
