– Illegal mining or galamsey was an issue the NPP promised to fight in the bid to win power in 2016. It seems when the Minister of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs, Kofi Dzamesi, visited the Amansie district in the Ashanti Region, he was not ready for the challenge he was going to receive.
The chiefs at Jacobu, a town in the district, met with the minister and his delegation. The minister was however surprised to hear from the traditional leaders that the issue of illegal mining in their district was spurred by members of his governing party. In a report YEN.com.gh sighted on Ghanaweb.com, the chiefs mentioned two powerful people in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as some of the two behind the illegal mining or ‘galamsey’ business. They are Bernard Antwi Boasiako and Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie.
While the former is the Ashanti Regional chairman of the NPP, the latter is the CEO of the Forestry Commission. Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, also known as “Sir John”.
The chiefs lamented that the fact the government’s anti-galamsey efforts are being undermined by its own people is an indictment on the administration. Specifically speaking about one of the alleged men, Mr Afryie, the chiefs complained that he had betrayed his job as a man tasked with preserving the environment. Bernard Antwi Boasiako is the chairman of the NPP in the Ashanti Region.
The chiefs made the allegation that, Mr. Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie had given out a concession of the Aprampram Forest Reserve to a Chinese mining comapny. They believe that the process is being carried out under the guise of land reclamation. For the regional chairman of the party, they alleged that he was operating with heavy machinery while marshalling muscle from the security services.
The chiefs in the end complained that they were currently under no illusions that serious measures were going to be taken against the men unless president Akufo-Addo was a man of his word.
