Government’s fight against illegal mining popularly known as galamsey is apparently becoming difficult in the country as some bigwigs in the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) allegedly complicit in the menace.
This is because a group of concerned small-scale miners has leveled serious allegations against key figures within the governing party and senior military officers of operating a shadowy anti-galamsey taskforce that is ‘terrorising’ miners and extorting money under the guise of enforcing illegal mining laws.
Chairman of the Concerned Small Scale Mining Group in Ghana (CSSMGG), Mr. Andrew Abban, is alleging that Joseph Yamin, the National Organiser of the NDC; and Yakubu Abanga, the party’s 3rd Vice-Chairperson, are the party gurus frequently cited by operatives of the parallel taskforce harassing mining sites in the various regions.
“We have information that these operatives use the names of some National Democratic Congress party executives to extort monies. Common names that are mentioned by these parallel taskforce assigns have been Joseph Yamin, the National Organiser of the NDC and Yakubu Abanga, 3rd Vice-Chairperson of the NDC and others,” the small-scale miners alleged.
They expressed disbelief that individuals closely linked to the governing party would be implicated in actions that undermine the government’s own fight against illegal mining.
“We are also surprised that rather than helping us to carry out our legitimate business, some persons within the ruling NDC are aiding the activities of these unscrupulous persons posing as parallel taskforce against galamsey to destroy our businesses”, the CSSMGG further alleged.
The group lamented that the actions of these politically connected persons have created an environment of fear and lawlessness in the mining sector, forcing many small-scale miners to flee their sites.
“Some of our members, sadly, have refused to go to their sites, fearing that they may be attacked by these illegal anti-galamsey taskforce,” the group bemoaned.
Military, National Security fingered
The CSSMGG also claimed that extortion schemes being enforced by a network of uniformed officers from the Ghana Armed Forces and National Security, who storm mining concessions with weapons, ransack properties, and demand cash payments.
According to the group, the illegal operations are allegedly coordinated by one Colonel Tali, identified as the Operations Commander at the National Security Office, who they claim has deployed officers to mining areas without any official mandate.
“Our checks, since the issue gained currency, reveal that some of these assigns boast of governmental support as well as links to persons in the National Security Outfit.
“Recently, in Prestea, some of our miners claimed they saw Warrant Officers Ayamba and Warrant Officer Ben (Bernard) who were operating with some officers fully attired in military colours,” the CSSMGG alleged.
The group further named Sergeant Salifu Abdul, Lance Corporal Adu Richmond, Sergeant Kunya Akwasi, and Lance Corporal Awaga Rocky as officers allegedly involved in the extortion and intimidation of miners.
“These assigns carry sophisticated weapons in full military uniforms, ransack the sites of our members and subject them to inhuman treatment including extortion of money,” the miners claimed.
They are calling for urgent presidential intervention, insisting that the activities of the parallel taskforce directly contradict the President’s recent directive to streamline enforcement through a single, coordinated national anti-galamsey taskforce.
“We hereby call on the President who has since the assumption of power shown respect for our work to act decisively to halt the activities of these parallel growth.”
