Deal with galamsey sponsors – Contractor

The Secretary of the Association of Local Mining Contractors, Mr. Samuel Aboagye, has urged the government to deal with sponsors or persons who secure certificates for concessions for illegal miners.

He observed that some “Big Men,” mostly in government, secure certificates and contract some of these operators to mine for them.

According to him, in a situation where something goes wrong and these illegal miners are busted, the “Big Men” go to defend them since they are mostly the owners of the illegal concessions .

His comments follow the arrest of some illegal miners in the Eastern Region.

One hundred and eighty-seven people who engaged in illegal mining (galamsey) in the Eastern Region have been sentenced to various terms of imprisonment since 2017, the Attorney-General (A-G) and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, made this known.

Furthermore, 250 people are currently on trial for alleged involvement in illegal mining in the region.

The A-G explained that out of the convictions, 39 are foreigners, made up of 29 Nigeriens, seven Nigerians and three Chinese.

Speaking on Atinka TV’s morning show, Ghana Nie with Ekourba Gyasi Simpremu, Mr. Samuel Aboagye said those who were arrested were mostly mere workers who have been contracted to mine and destroy lands and water bodies.

He accused the “Big Men’ behind the mining of encouraging their hirelings to use dubious means to mine, and when they are arrested, they go to their defense because they are mostly in government and are very influential.

He said officials in charge of issuing certificates or concessions should be traced and dealt with accordingly without any interference.

“When you go to the Galamsey site and you meet people there, those who are there are usually not the ones who secured the concessions; those who did are there, and so if you arrest those on the site, you have done nothing. “The best thing you can do is trace the big men behind that illegal mining.”

“They go for the certificate, and contract people to work, so when we notice that at River Pra something is going on and it is not good, we should ask who secured the certificate or the concession so that we deal with the person.”

Meanwhile, he was of the belief that small-scale mining can be regulated just as well as large-scale mining if politics is taken out of the way.

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