The leadership of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ellembelle Constituency of the Western Region has claimed that the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Ellembelle, Kwasi Bonzoh has been engaging himself in illegal mining (galamsey) activities in the District.
Read full articleThis claim is followed by a press conference organized by the Constituency Executives of Ellembelle NPP at Esiama where the Constituency Chairman of NPP, Sampson Ndoli alias "One man" described the late Andrew Donkor of Teleku-Bokazo as a galamseyer and a violent person who joined some residents of Teleku-Bokazo to storm Nkroful Magistrate Court to attack some military men at the premises of the court on Friday, April 1, 2022, during a trial of some 20 illegal miners arrested by the Adamus Mining Company on that sorrowful day.
In their press conference, the Ellembelle NPP Constituency Chairman also described the move taken by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah to seek justice for the late Andrew Donkor and his family in Accra High Court as needless.
But addressing the media, the Ellembelle NDC Constituency Communications Officer, Kwesi Hanson stated that when it comes to galamsey activities, the Ellembelle DCE, Kwasi Bonzoh doesn't have a moral right to talk about galamsey activities in Ellembelle District.
He described Ellembelle DCE, Kwasi Bonzoh as a galamsey kingpin.
"We will like to also state that, the D.C.E of Ellembelle, Kwasi Bonzoh is himself involved in several galamsey issues within the Constituency as described by his former Constituency Chairman as "Galamsey kingpin" and thus lacks the moral right to talk about issues of illegal mining," he claimed.
"The D.CE's complicit posture is what his party chairman needs to address and stop ignorantly addressing issues he seems to know nothing about," he added.
He emphasized that "In as much we condemn the youth beseeching the mining site and subsequently attacking the police station, If our greedy D.C.E is not himself a "Galamsey Kingkong" and would have focused and fights for the interest of constituents and impress on the mining companies to offer jobs to the youth, the unfortunate incident wouldn't have happened".
The Ellembelle NDC Constituency Communications Officer stated that the Ellembelle DCE has been fighting for the interest of Adamus Mining Company than the welfare of the good people of Ellembelle.
"Unfortunately, the DCE's desire is simply to amass wealth and fight for a corporate interest to the detriment of the teaming youth within the Constituency, who are unfortunately unemployed," he fired.
"The DCE should have been the one leading the charge to identify the killer, today we are told the killer cannot be identified because 6 soldiers were shooting. Is this fair?" he quizzed.
He stated that "We need to let the NPP in Ellembelle Constituency know that, our MP is not and will never be a cheerleader for Adamus Mining company but he will seek the welfare of all in Ellembelle and stand by them when their rights are being violated".
Read below the full press statement;
A SOLIDARITY STATEMENT BY NDC ELLEMBELLE IN SUPPORT OF
THE LATE FAMILY OF ANDREWS DONKOR
TO ALL MEDIA HOUSES:
Greeting to our friends of the media, Good people of Ellembelle Constituency and the General Public.
The issue regarding the good people of Teleku Bokazo and Adamus mining company and the serious friction between the two factions is something which is known by almost all of us.
The unfortunate twist and highly unreasonable political angle that our friends from the NPP led by the D.C.E who has shamelessly hidden behind his party chairman is an event which we will like to address and set the records straight devoid of mischief as the NPP in Ellembelle Constituency has sought to do.
In their address to the media, the NPP chairman in Ellembelle Constituency sought to soil the hard-earned reputation of the MP for Ellembelle Constituency, Hon. Armah Kofi Buah by dragging him into the unfortunate event which saw the death of Andy Donkoh.
We will like to state that, Hon. Armah Kofi Buah condemned the vandalism at the police station and has subsequently apologised to the district police commandant including her Worship of the magistrate court in which premises the incident took place.
The subsequent arrests and surrender of some of the suspects are enough evidence.
The Hon MP's interest in the case is to seek justice for a beloved constituent in the person of Master Andy Donkor, who was unjustifiably killed by a force team of police and the military.
This, the MP has done by petitioning CHRAJ and pursuing the case in court. It beats our imagination and if not polished ignorance, why will a whole party chairman take on an MP who is legally seeking the welfare of a deceased Constituent?
We will like to also state that, the D.C.E of Ellembelle, Kwasi Bonzoh is himself involved in several galamsey issues within the Constituency as described by his former Constituency Chairman as "Galamsey kingpin" and thus lacks the moral right to talk about issues of illegal mining.
The D.CE's complicit posture is what his party chairman needs to address and stop ignorantly addressing issues he seems to know nothing about.
In as much we condemn the youth beseeching the mining site and subsequently attacking the police station, If our greedy D.C.E is not himself a "Galamsey Kingkong" and would have focused and fights for the interest of constituents and impress on the mining companies to offer jobs to the youth, the unfortunate incident wouldn't have happened.
We need to let the NPP in Ellembelle Constituency know that, our MP is not and will never be a cheerleader for Adamus Mining company but he will seeks the welfare of all in Ellembelle and stand by them when their rights are being violated.
Andy Donkor was killed illegally as indicated by the Autopsy report.
Unfortunately, the DCE's desire is simply to amass wealth and fight for a corporate interest to the detriment of the teaming youth within the Constituency, who are unfortunately unemployed.
The DCE should have been the one leading the charge to identify the killer, today we are told the killer cannot be identified because 6 soldiers were shooting? Is this fair?
It's unfortunate that the NPP party chairman in Ellembelle Constituency allowed himself to be used by the DCE to spew pure lies about the MP. It is unfortunate how a full-grown man will allow himself to be used as a stooge for another man.
Even when issues has to do with his own party polling station executive, this "Short-sighted" party chairman decided to politicise it. How wicked and inhumane can a supposed party chairman be?
We must all get this straight, the shooting to death of Andrew Donkoh is a violation of his civil right, and its appropriate for the member of Parliament to seek redress in court.
The DCE who represents the president should have been the one leading the charge to unravelling and bringing the Killers of our beloved brother to book, but unfortunately we are told that the killer cannot be found because several soldiers shot at the same time.
Who will believe this "Kweku Anase story"?
The Court action and CHRAJ are Constitutional remedies available to every citizen. The DCE says the court action is needless, we wish him no evil but we don't pray he loses any relative in such unfortunate manner but if that happens, he will know how it feels and not speak anyhow.
Its beats our mind why the NPP seemed unconcerned about the deceased, who happened to me a polling station executive of their party.
We are reliably informed that the only action the DCE took was to expunge his name from the NPP register few weeks after his death. How can a DCE be soo insensitive and wicked?
We will like the world to see the video footage of the place and distance and how Andrew Donkoh was killed.
Bonzo and his team say he went there to struggle with the soldiers.
In conclusion, we will like to state without any equivocation that, the hon mp has taken tremendous steps which are morally and legally right and known explicitly to the family.
It is sad, we have "a fetishism priest" as NPP Constituency.
Signed!
Comrade Kwesi Hanson
Communication Officer- Ellembelle Constituency.
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