The Small-Scale Miners Association of Ghana has revealed that despite government’s initiative to end or halt illegal mining commonly known as ‘galamsey’ culpable appointees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo continue to destroy forest reserves and are left off the hook.
President Nana Akufo-Addo last week established Operation Halt military task-force to enforce the ban on ‘galamsey’ after public outcry on the destruction of water bodies, farmlands and forest reserves.
However, the Small Scale Miners Association president, Mr Michael Kwadwo Peprah has revealed that the military taskforce are operating on an ulterior motive, which is the harassment of members of the association who are properly licensed to carry out mining activities in specific areas.
Speaking to Power Kasiebo on Power FM and TV XYZ on October 16, 2024, Kwadwo Peprah, remarked that the task force was ordered not to enter forest reserves because NPP appointees are mining in those areas.
He described the operation as a PR gimmick, emphasizing that government appointees with mining concessions in forest reserves are exempted and are still destroying reserved forests and water bodies passing through them.
He named the Kumasi Mayor, Sam Pyne, as one of the appointees destroying forest reserves and left to continue with the act.
“The government said we are fighting galamsey, but they have directed the soldiers not to go to the forest reserves and rather focus on the river bodies. So, those mining in the forest are they not part of the illegal miners?” he questioned and alleged that many government appointees have been handed mining concessions in forest reserves in the Ashanti Region.
“Some well-known NPP members are mining in forest reserves. Chinese are also involved in forest mining. Now, they have directed the soldiers not to go into the forest reserves but to the river bodies. We, the small-scale miners who have licenses, are being attacked instead.
“They have shared the forest reserves for people to mine. A well-known NPP people. Someone like Sam Pyne has been given a forest reverse to mine around the Numeriso area. And as I speak, Chinese are mining at that place,” Kwadwo Peprah sated.