Small Scale Miners Gives President 14 Days (2weeks) Ultimatum To Call The Task Force To Order
Ghana National Association of Small Scales Miners (GNASSM), has expressed total displeasure about government's u- turn on issues raised at the recently held Small Scale Mining dialogue at the Accra International Conference Centre.
Reference to the President H/E Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo ’s deployment of Task Force of 200 officers and men from the Ghana Armed Forces in an operation to rid the country’s water bodies of activities of illegal miners (galamseyers) which according to the Information Minister Hon Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the decision by the President was in furtherance of the resolutions of the final communique of the Stakeholder Dialogue on Small Scale Mining held recently.
Addressing a Press Conference at one of the mining sites at Twifu Ntafrewaso in the Twifu Atti-Mokwa District of the Central Region, the aggrieved miners threatened they will hit the streets should government fail to address the actions by the military in seven days.
A spokesperson for the Small Scale Miners Abdul Alhassan Razak bemoaned what he says is the “total betrayal” of the Akufo-Addo government .
The association identified some of the affected GNASSM members within the central region; Herein those whose sites have been invaded by the military although their mining activities are licensed and not done on water bodies or in the forests; but at small scale block-out area at Twifo Atti Morkwa District of the Central Region, are:
a. Ntafrewaso site;
b. Antodorm Enterprise site;
c. Asamoakrom site.
Clarifying issues to the press, Mr. Razak asked these;
Did the President ordered the Task Force to burn excavators on site?
Did the President ordered the task force to swerve onto legal concessions not affecting any water bodies to burn excavators.
Examples of mining areas NOT on water bodies but excavators were burnt in the Central Region are:
a) Ntafriwaso,;
b) Asamoah krom
c) Awisem.
Notwithstanding, the association called on the general public that, the term Galamsey must not be used generally for all small scale miners because some are legally licensed miners, therefore GNASSM members must be addressed as Small Scale miners and not, I repeat not Galamseyers.
Finally, GNASSM gives the President an ultimatum of 14 days (2weeks) to call the task force to order; and to address these concerns or expect 3 days intensive nationwide demonstration by GNASSM in all cities and towns.
Odiasempa Kwaku Ahiaku, sweet fm
Twifo Praso-C/R
Comments