The New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Amenfi East Constituency in the Western Region, Ernest Frimpong, has defended his advice to small-scale miners in the constituency on how they should handle unauthorized security officials who come to their mining sites.

Speaking in an interview with ChannelOne News on Monday, June 10, 2024, the NPP parliamentary candidate indicated that he still stands by his comment that miners should reciprocate any form of assault meted out to them.

According to him, he gave the advice to the miners because they were being terrorized by unauthorized security officials who came to extort money from them.

He clarified that he was advising the miners to beat up unauthorized security officials who attacked them.

"I did not say when they see a man in uniform they should confront them. I said those who are sanctioned for operations, the miners know them, and we also know them. Those who are not sanctioned, we also know them because when they are sanctioned, they come with an official car.

"But people come with Land Cruisers and Prados, rented cars to extort money. So, question them. When you question them and they beat you, retaliate because they are not authorized. That is what I said. I did not say attack them because you have seen them. I said when they beat you. Please, the video is there for clarification," the parliamentary candidate said.

He pointed out that even though officials, including National Security operatives, come on missions in private cars, the regional minister, as the head of security in the region, would be made aware of the operation.

But what often happens is that security officers troop to mining sites without authorization to attack and extort miners.

"They (National Security operatives) don't use official cars; they use Land Cruisers. But you know national security. They also have cards from the Jubilee House. Their identity is known and when they come on unauthorized operations, at least the regional minister will be made aware of it. At least if not the MCE, the regional minister will be made aware. He is there to confirm whether the operation is legal or illegal. The reason this whole thing is coming up is that our people have suffered a lot of illegal oppression, a lot. And it has created a lot of problems."

Background:

The parliamentary candidate for Amenfi East was captured in a video calling for assaults on soldiers and other security officials who attempt to hinder the activities of small-scale miners.

In the video sighted by GhanaWeb, the candidate is seen addressing a group of small-scale miners in the area, making the following statement:

"Operation halt, galamstop, whatever, whatever, soldiers that ambush you, we have canceled all those operations, and officially they do not have permission to run such operations again.

"So, if anyone comes to your site, you have the right to question him on his mission there," he told the miners in the Twi language.

"If he says he is on patrol, then that is good because the patrol by the police and the security services protects you and reduces the incidents of robbery. So, if from your own will you part ways with 3 million, 5 million, or 10 million for him to use for fuel, you are just helping him, and I won't speak against it," he added.

"But if anyone comes around and says, 'Because he is a soldier, leave the site and dismantle your machines,' don't be moved by the uniform he is wearing. If he beats you, equally beat him. Fight him; I will come to your defense," he charged the miners to rousing applause.

The exact date when the video was taken is unknown.

However, the candidate, who spoke in the presence of the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, and some party executives in the region, defended his call by reiterating that no official operation has been sanctioned for soldiers to stop illegal mining activities.

"As I said, the authority which he could use to arrest you has been seized; hence, if you are doing illegal [mining] and he wants to arrest you, he is also engaging in an illegality, so you should also arrest him," he added.


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