The Concerned Small Scale Miners Union of Ghana (CSSMUG) is demanding the immediate arrest and suspension of the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie popularly known as ‘Sir John’ for engaging in galamsey activities.
The group claim that they have ample evidence to prove that Sir John is involved in the illegal activity.
The call by the Small Scale Miners Union come after the Chiefs of Amansie accused Sir John and the Ashanti regional New Patriotic Party chairman Antwi Boasiako popularly known as Chairman Wontumi of engaging in galamsey under the guise of land reclamation.
The Minority in Parliament on Tuesday made similar allegations against Sir John and chairman Wontumi.
Addressing the media in Parliament Tuesday, the minority spokesperson on Energy Adam Mutawakilu said the minority is in possession of evidence against four persons linked to the NPP including Sir John engaging in galamsey.
“The information that the Minority have is that the CEO of Forestry Commission Sir John uses his office to put signposts [indicating] that certain areas are marked for reclamation but in actual fact there is serious galamsey going in the areas and the signposts is just to deceive the Military from invading those places,” the Damango lawmaker alleged.
“And that’s what happened in Jakobi (in the Ashanti Region). There was a big signboard that reclamation was going on but when the Military, Operation Vanguard got in, they realized that there was serious galamsey going on with the knowledge of these appointees,” he added.
In a statement, the group said “our long-held stance has been vindicated by the chiefs of the Amansie Traditional Area in the Ashanti region who have openly accused Sir John and no mean a person than the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the ruling NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako alias ‘Chairman Wontumi’ of engaging in galamsey deep inside the Apampram Forest Reserve in the Amansie Central District.”
The group added “We find the attitudes of Sir John and Wontumi not only deviant but also as corrupt, stinking and rotten to the core that it calls for the swift and unhindered action by the investigative machinery of the state.”
Below is the full statement
Arrest Sir John and Wontumi for engaging in ‘galamsey’ – CSSMUG
The Concerned Small Scale Miners Union of Ghana (CSSMUG) demands the immediate suspension and arrest of the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie alias ‘Sir John’ for desecrating his office by engaging in galamsey activities.
We have ample evidence to prove that the very public officer into whose care the nation’s forests have been entrusted is neck deep ravaging the bellies of some of the most virgin of forest reserves for gold, under the guise of ‘reclamation’.
Our long-held stance has been vindicated by the chiefs of the Amansie Traditional Area in the Ashanti region who have openly accused Sir John and no mean a person than the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the ruling NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako alias ‘Chairman Wontumi’ of engaging in galamsey deep inside the Apampram Forest Reserve in the Amansie Central District.
The government’s deafening silence over this matter weeks after the chiefs’ public outburst, apart from being surprising also suggests to us that it is not committed to the fight against illegal mining as it wants the world to believe.
We wish to remind President Nana Akufo Addo that he has a personal pledge to keep; that he would cause to be investigated any of his appointees against whom allegations of corruption would be leveled.
We find the attitudes of Sir John and Wontumi not only deviant but also as corrupt, stinking and rotten to the core that it calls for the swift and unhindered action by the investigative machinery of the state.
The two Deputy Chiefs of Staff, the Deputy Minister of Sports, the Board Chairman of the National Sports Authority, the former CEO of BOST and others were either investigated, suspended or sacked based on mere allegations, in a bid to demonstrate the President’s discontentment with malfeasance by public officers; Mr President, why the loud silence now.
Even if President Akufo Addo has no regard for the complaints of Small Scale Miners, would he say he has no reverence for the chiefs of Amansie, whose people are some of the most avowed electorates of his largest constituency, the Ashanti region?
If President Akufo Addo and his government do not respect the votes he gained from Amansie which aided him to occupy his office today, would he also not respect the chiefs, the main custodians of the lands who feel they are been robbed of the riches of their inheritance by the two top NPP figures?
The CSSMUG wishes to entreat all Ghanaians to treat the government’s so called fight against galamsey with the impunity it deserves if Sir John and Chairman Wontumi are not arrested to make way for investigations into the allegations against them.
Fellow Ghanaians, we also wish to call for the dissolution of the Interministerial Taskforce against Galamsey and the disbandment of the Operation Vanguard since they have failed to show anything for the expenses on them, more than a year into their operations.
Finally, we wish to warn that, we will not hesitate to order all our members to go back to their various concessions to immediately start work since the failure of government to investigate Sir John and Wontumi would mean to us, a lack of commitment to the fight against galamsey it so touts.
Signed
Michael Kwadwo Peprah
President
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
