Correspondence from Western Region

The Constituency Executives of governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Ellembelle of the Western Region have accused the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr. Kwasi Bonzoh of being involved in the illegal mining (galamsey) activities in the area.

It would be recalled that on Tuesday, March 24, 2020, some illegal miners (galamseyers) organized a press conference at Anwia to accused Ellembelle NPP Constituency Chairman, Samuel Akainyah and other executives of collecting GHC10,000 every two weeks from them (galamseyers) under the pretence of protecting them from operation vanguard and other forms of threats.

These galamseyers started their activities in August 2019 and had managed to degrade about 15 acres of land and waterbody called Subri that serves three communities, namely, Anwia, Teleku Bokazo and Nkroful (the birthplace of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.)

In a press statement issued and signed by the Constituency Chairman Samuel Akainyah and Constituency Secretary, John Nwolley, copied to GhanaWeb's Western Regional Correspondent Daniel Kaku, they had stated without fear or favour that they had never collected any money from any galamseyer.

"We want to state without a shred of equivocation that, the Constituency Executives have never collected any money from any galamseyer for the alleged purpose or ever been involved in any illegal small-scale mining activity (galamsey) in the constituency as sheepishly alleged by the galamseyers and their guardian angel", they stressed.

They, therefore described the allegations levelled against them as shallow, "meant to deceive and shield their guardian angel (Ellembelle DCE-Kwasi Bonzo) who is neck deep in the galamsey activities in the district with them hence their plan of waging such vicious media war to deter the efforts of the constituency executives and chiefs who have declared a war against galamsey in the district".

According to them, the Constituency Executives noticed the presence of the galamseyers in the District last year upon several complains from their party faithful and chiefs from the affected communities over the extensive destruction of lands and water bodies.

They added that they drew the attention of the District Chief Executive (DCE) Mr. Kwasi Bonzoh to expedite actions to halt the menace.

"Somewhere August last year, 2 of the drone pilots led the police to seize some excavators from these galamseyers upon complain from the executives", they recalled.

"The seized excavators which were packed at the police station miraculously returned to the same galamsey site to continue the illicit galamsey activities under the instruction of the DCE", they fumed.

"It was rumoured then that monies were paid to the DCE before releasing the excavators", they alleged.

They continued their revelations that, "The Constituency Executives again noticed this year that, galamsey activities have intensified to unprecedented level and largely affecting water bodies in the district. The executives then furiously confronted the DCE again about the menace".

"On the 3rd of March this year, a joint operation with some constituency executives (2nd Vice Chairman and Youth organizer), the DCE and the police was carried out of which according to the DCE 7 excavators were seized and five persons arrested", they recalled.

"Few days later, the seized excavators which would have served as deterrent to other galamseyers and substantial evidence in case of any court action amazingly found their way back to site again for the same illegal activities".

They claimed that the DCE unpatriotically took GHC70,000 from the galamseyers and released the seized seven excavators to them to return to sites to mine.

"Our checks revealed that the DCE, Kwasi Bonzoh unpatriotically took ten thousand Ghana Cedis (GHC 10,000) for each excavator totalling GHC 70,000 and shockingly released the excavators to them", they alleged.

"This action by the DCE without informing the constituency executives who forced him to undertake such operations confirmed the long-held rumours that the DCE owns a galamsey site, excavators and has been receiving weekly remittances from other galamseyers in the district", they believed.

They, therefore demanded answer that, "The DCE as the head of the District Security Council and with all the political powers will allow galamsey activities to go on at a distance less than half Km from his office. This also validates his involvement or is a deliberate attempt to disrespect the president’s directives or make the party unpopular in the constituency".

"We want to emphasize however that this issue of “Galamsey” is about the health, lands and water bodies of the good people of Ellembelle and that we can assure that no amount of character assassination, vilification and insults will demoralize us to end this fight", they said.



Below is the full statement


RESPONSES FROM ELLEMBELLE NPP CONSTITUENCY EXECUTIVES TO A PRESS CONFERENCE ORGANIZED BY ILLEGAL MINERS (GALAMSEYERS) IN THE DISTRICT

On Tuesday, 24th March, a group of galamseyers addressed a press conference at which they levelled series of ungrounded and unsubstantiated allegations against the constituency executives and a drone pilot. They sought among others to mislead that the constituency executives and a drone pilot collect GHC 10K every 2 weeks from them under the pretense of protecting them from operation vanguard and other forms of threats.

We want to state without a shred of equivocation that, the Constituency Executives have never collected any money from any galamseyer for the alleged purpose or ever been involved in any illegal small-scale mining activity (galamsey) in the constituency as sheepishly alleged by the galamseyers and their guardian angel.

The allegations are absurd, shallow and a fabrication meant to deceive and shield their guardian angel (Ellembelle DCE-Kwasi Bonzo) who is neck deep in the galamsey activities in the district with them hence their plan of waging such vicious media war to deter the efforts of the constituency executives and chiefs who have declared a war against galamsey in the district.

The Constituency Executives noticed the presence of these galamseyers in the district last year upon several complains from party faithfuls and chiefs from the affected communities over the extensive destruction of lands and water bodies. The executives then drew the attention of the District Chief Executive (DCE) to expedite action to halt the menace.

Somewhere August last year, 2 of the drone pilots led the police to seize some excavators from these galamseyers upon complain from the executives. The seized excavators which were packed at the police station miraculously returned to the same galamsey site to continue the illicit galamsey activities under the instruction of the DCE. It was rumoured then that monies were paid to the DCE before releasing the excavators.

The Constituency Executives again noticed this year that, galamsey activities have intensified to unprecedented level and largely affecting water bodies in the district. The executives then furiously confronted the DCE again about the menace.

On the 3rd of March this year, a joint operation with some constituency executives (2nd Vice Chairman and Youth organizer), the DCE and the police was carried out of which according to the DCE 7 excavators were seized and five persons arrested.
Few days later, the seized excavators which would have served as deterrent to other galamseyers and substantial evidence in case of any court action amazingly found their way back to site again for the same illegal activities. Our checks revealed that the DCE, Kwasi Bonzoh unpatriotically took ten thousand Ghana Cedis (GHC 10,000) for each excavator totalling GHC 70,000 and shockingly released the excavators to them.

This action by the DCE without informing the constituency executives who forced him to undertake such operations confirmed the long held rumours that the DCE owns a galamsey site, excavators and has been receiving weekly remittances from other galamseyers in the district.

The Constituency Executives then realized that the deceptive fight against galamsey by the DCE was a sham and a well-thought-out master plan, designed to deceive the public.



On the 14th of March, the Constituency Executives, the police and some media personnel’s unknowing to the DCE, carried out an independent operation at the galamsey sites. To our amazement, all the supposed seized excavators by the DCE were all on sites actively doing galamsey with impunity at the full glance of the media, police and the constituency executives.

Most of them run away but 3 persons were arrested by the police and took away some of their fuel as exhibit.

The operation was widely covered by the media and can be verified at Esiama police station, Newday FM and West End Radio, all in Ellembelle and Jomoro District.

This operation temporary halted their activities. The visible crusade and agenda to completely eradicate any galamsey activity in the district by the constituency executives triggered the unfounded allegations in their press conference which was obviously engineered by the DCE.

The Constituency Executives finally want to establish that:

1. We are not involved in any illegal small-scale mining activity (galamsey) in the constituency.

2. The DCE, Kwasi Bonzoh himself has publicly confessed to Metro TV in an interview that his Constituency Executives are not involved in any galamsey related activity hence their allegations hold no water.

3. Some of the galamsey kingpins, Yeboah and Co live under the roof (residence) of the DCE; confirming the fact that the DCE himself is a culprit that is why he has shockingly refused to crack the whip on these miscreants thereby emboldening them to destroy the water bodies with impunity.

4. The DCE as the head of the District Security Council and with all the political powers will allow galamsey activities to go on at a distance less than half Km from his office. This also validates his involvement or is a deliberate attempt to disrespect the president’s directives or make the party unpopular in the constituency.

5. Most of the galamsayers are not indigent of the district hence care less about the destruction of lands and water bodies.

6. The galamsayers feel saved under the protection of the DCE hence their continue operation in the district.

7. Despite worries expressed by Nana Amihere Kpanyinli (II), the Paramount Chief of Easten Nzema Traditional Council about the extensive destruction of lands and water bodies, the galamseyers are currently on site working while the DCE site unconcern.

We want to emphasize however that this issue of “Galamsey” is about the health, lands and water bodies of the good people of Ellembelle and that we can assure that no amount of character assassination, vilification and insults will demoralize us to end this fight.

We therefore call on National Security, Inter Ministerial Committee on illegal Mining, Operation Vanguard and Galamstop to quickly storm Ellembelle district to help save our lands and water bodies.

Thank You!

Signed!

SAMUEL AKAINYA
(CONSTITUENCY CHAIRMAN)