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• AGBESI KWESI 8 years ago

  The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is basking in a national shame, following the involvement of some of its personnel in illegal mining in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region, thus bringing the image of Ghana’s most d ...
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  The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is basking in a national shame, following the involvement of some of its personnel in illegal mining in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region, thus bringing the image of Ghana’s most disciplined security outfit into disrepute.The GAF, which has sworn heaven and earth that its personnel are not involved in illegal mining, has been exposed for teaming up with Russians and Ukrainians to wreck Ghana’s water bodies, forests and farm lands, through illegal mining.On Monday, 22nd May 2017, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources was shocked when he chanced upon 15 military and five police officers guarding four illegal mining sites, namely; Geo Professional Services (GPS), Kasmil Mining Company Limited, K. Afriyie and Sons, Precious Metal Company and King Solomon Mining Company.The Chronicle gathered that Lt. Gen Arhin is a commander of the military, who led these military officers to Manso Tontokrom to give protection to the Russians and Ukrainians engaged in illegal mining in the said townIt has also been established that there are 42 Russians and Ukrainian nationals mining at Tontokrom under armed military and police protection. These four mining firms are primarily owned by Russia and Ukrainian nationals.Addressing the media, Minister Amewu said: “The military are protecting illegality and nobody can say that it is not true.
  The Minister explained that at most of the sites his team visited, the military personnel were stationed there, and this is not coming from the lands and natural resources office.”He stated: “I tried checking from the Minerals Commission (MC) if they deployed the soldiers here, but they said they never, and on any occasion, sign a pact with the military to allow them to be protecting an illegality. He said enquires at his sector ministry also indicated that his ministry had no contract with the military department to protect the illegality. On the way forward, Mr. John Peter Amewu indicated: “We want to call the military hierarchy to come and tell Ghanaians why they are protecting an illegality.” The Minister, looking bemused, stated: “As for me, as long as the military continues to do this, the fight against the illegal mining is going to be very difficult for us.” He wondered under what circumstances the military and police would protect mining sites which operate without licenses, and said: “These military officers are being paid, and we need to interrogate this.” Nevertheless, Mr. Amewu stated that he was extremely excited that some names of the military personnel are being mentioned, adding: “At the appropriate time, these names will come out.” He asked who the military officers were, and who deployed them to the site? On the lawlessness of the security agencies, Amewu opined: “It is time the laws of Ghana were allowed to work, with the enforcement agencies prepared to play a very vital role.
  “Ghana is becoming lawlessness, where any citizen from any country can come in and do anything at all.” The Minister disclosed that, per his checks, these illegal Russians and Ukrainian miners have been mining in the area for the past 35 years, and they have not paid a single royalty to Ghana. “Look at the kind of ore they are extracting from the site, this cannot continue, and it must be stopped.” According him, Chinese nationals seem to dominate foreigners, who are illegally mining in Ghana, but, “today, we met Russians and Ukrainians, and there are a lot of people out there from Burkina Faso and Togo.” Responding to a question, Mr. Amewu noted: “I think people holding responsible positions must begin to answer questions. The fight is on-going; we will continue to do our best. “Meanwhile, at the time of filing this story, the four arrested illegal miners, in the persons of Coemwotti Putats, Chepaiyin Serchii, Farid Issaer and Vadim, were at the Ashanti Regional Police Command, waiting to be processed to Accra for further interrogation.In a telephone interaction with the Public Relations Director of the GAF, Col Aggrey Quarshie, he noted that the military had not sanctioned anybody to Manso Tontokrom, and that the military hierarchy will open an inquiry into the issue, and try to unravel the truth about it.

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• Dr Nnuro Frimpong- USA 8 years ago

  Please, respect the decision of the legal council. They are there to protect the public not the Lawyer. The Lawyer crossed the line.
  The legal council has carried out their mandate and be commended.
  There is too much lawl ...
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  Please, respect the decision of the legal council. They are there to protect the public not the Lawyer. The Lawyer crossed the line.
  The legal council has carried out their mandate and be commended.
  There is too much lawless going on in the Ghanaian community.
  People in responsible positions steal huge sum of public money, when they are caught, they appear before PAC only to big for forgiveness. What kind of nonsense is that.
  Ghana medical and dental council should do same. They should emulate GLC.
  Please, friends of suspended Lawyer, Allow the rules to work. Let us hold the suspended Lawyer accountable.

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• Dr Nnuro Frimpong- USA 8 years ago

  The word is lawlessness. Thank you.

  The word is lawlessness. Thank you.

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• Agyakwakuo Twumpuduo 8 years ago

  Why have we become so irresponsible in the land called Ghana? Why do most of us call ourselves religious, some to Mohammed and others to Christ but we fear DISCIPLINE? The man joins a society or organisation and they have the ...
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  Why have we become so irresponsible in the land called Ghana? Why do most of us call ourselves religious, some to Mohammed and others to Christ but we fear DISCIPLINE? The man joins a society or organisation and they have their rules which all should abide. If Sosu breaks the rules, should he not be punished?
  For Ghana to develop, we need Professionals who will operate under rules and respect those VALUES. But in Ghana where a whole President (Mahama) will not show any professionalism how can we have RULE OF LAW and national values. We are backward.

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