Betrayal of the Poor Citizen under the disguise of illegal mining fight (Part 2)

The latest to the government attempted illegal mining fight fiasco is the revelation from the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central Constituency, Kennedy Agyapong who believes Ghanaians’ attention is being diverted from asking about the missing seized gold instead of excavators.

Mr. Agyapong alleged that all the huge kilograms of pure gold and mined gold ores seized under the Inter-Ministerial Taskforce against Illegal Mining and Operation Vanguard which is a Military Police Joint Task Force (JTF) set up by the President of Ghana in 2017 to combat the operation of galamsey in Ghana are nowhere to be found.

The New Patriotic Party MP called on President Akufo-Addo to find the missing gold before it blows into a scandal.

“President Akufo-Addo must call them to find the whereabouts of the missing gold. President Akufo-Addo, ask them where it is. Call them and ask them before we bring it out. I will play some recordings for you. It is ugly! The gold they have collected. The galamstop soldiers, they have taken gold. It is not only machines.” Kennedy Agyapong charged on Net2 TV

For the past days, Ghanaians are outraged with the revelations unveiling from the deceitful taskforce set up by government to stop illegal mining in the country which even affected the operations of legally operated small scale mining, and are asking questions. Some of the questions are:

1. What has happened to the US$3 millions that we were told will be used to purchase drones to monitor illegal Mining?
2. Why was the Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu prevented from investigating Charles Bissue even when he expressed interest in the case?
3. What is Charles Bissue still doing at the presidency?
4. What is the Actual number of the missing excavators?

5. What has happened to the security tracking devices. We were told it will be fixed to the seized Excavators?
6. Why was Ekow Ewusi contracted to transport seized Excavators instead of the police?
7. How many concessions have been given to chairman Wuntomi Ashanti Regional Chairman of NPP to support the party?

8. Can John Boadu, Ekow Ewusi and others tell us who sent them to Prof Frimpong Boateng to request for galamsey concessions in order to finance the NPP 2020 campaign?
9. Why did the NPP settled on Ekow Ewusi who is an Auctioneer by profession and how much has the NPP as a party made from the sale of seized Excavators?
10. How many people have been prosecuted by the government since the formation of the Inter-Ministerial Committee Against Illegal Mining?
11. Why was Peter Amewu moved from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and Replaced with Kwaku Asomah Kyeremeh who has earlier been accused of corruption and petitioned to the president by former Abronye District Chief Executive?
12. What has happened to GALAMSTOP and how many alternative livelihood programs have been rolled out in galamsey prone areas.

Ghanaians need answers to these and many more questions. The so called Media coalition against illegal Mining must speak to the rot that is currently happening in the so called fight against illegal Mining.

Source: Bagbin Mpondan,

The writer is a resident of Kintampo South in the Bono East Region.