A recent operation to combat illegal mining in the Tano Anwia Forest Reserve has been marred by controversy, with the Western North Regional Minister, Wilbert Petty Brentum intervening to halt the towing away of seized excavators and stopping the arrests of galamseyers.
The operation, which began on Thursday, was a joint effort between the Forestry Commission and the legal concession owner to flush out armed criminals who have been conducting illegal mining activities in the forest.
Fifteen excavators were seized during the operation, but the success was short-lived as armed policemen from the Enchi District and Divisional Police Commands confronted the team, questioning the legitimacy of their operations.
After heated verbal exchanges, the police left, but the controversy didn’t end there.
The Western North Regional Minister later arrived at the scene, instructing the task force to stop moving the seized equipment out of the forest, claiming he had not been informed of the operation.
This move emboldened some of the illegal miners to attempt to retrieve their equipment, and three days into the operation, the raid was halted due to a purported order from the Second-in-Command (2IC) of the 2nd Battalion.
However, the 2IC later clarified that he had not issued such an order, and the team was instructed to return to their duties.
The Tano Anwia Forest Reserve has been under siege by illegal mining activities since last year, with more armed groups joining the fray this year.
Attempts to flush them out have been fraught with allegations of corruption and extreme vested interests.
The latest operation has raised more questions than answers, with many wondering why the Western North Regional Minister intervened to stop the towing away of seized excavators and the arrests of galamseyers.
According to an aide to the Western North Regional Minister, the minister only went to the forest to find out why he had not been informed of the operation, as he is the head of the Regional Security Council.
However, this explanation has done little to quell the controversy surrounding the operation.
