The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Suaman in the Western North Region, Christian Baah, is in trouble for allegedly superintending over illegal mining activities popularly known as galamsey in the area.

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, has threatened to report the DCE to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for overseeing galamsey in the area.

Asomah-Cheremeh alleged that the DCE was complicit in the resurgence of galamsey at Dadieso by allowing excavators that were seized from illegal miners and put under his care to be returned to the pits.

He made the threat when he led a team of military men to the site to clamp down on the activities of illegal miners who had invaded the area and were destroying land and water resources.

The illegal miners upon seeing the military escaped and left behind mobile phones, bags, and other belongings.


The minister became angry and said the resurgence of galamsey in Dadieso was because the DCE had failed to play his role and undermines the President's directive on galamsey in the country.

He said "The last time we came here about two months ago, we found nine excavators and asked the DCE to take charge of them, but when we returned to convey the excavators away, their essential parts had been removed and we could not drive them away. I then tasked him to replace those parts.

"We later got information from National Security that the galamsey operators were back to work and so we came back unannounced, and lo and behold, the same machines are being used to destroy the environment."

"It is the President who appointed all metropolitan, municipal, and district chief executives (MMDCEs) and so they must not act in a way that will defeat the appointing authority's vision. I am going to officially report the conduct of this DCE to the President at our meeting on June 17, so that action will be taken," he added.