The Founder and Leader of the United Progressive Party(UPP) Akwasi Addai Odike has emphasized that some military officers now prefer to be part of the 'so-called' galamsey fight to peacekeeping missions.

Akwasi Addai Odike speaking in an interview with Rainbow TV monitored by MyNewsGh.com said military personnel deployed to mining sites to fight galamsey are rather protecting the galamseyers.

According to Akwasi Addai Odike, the fight against galamsey has forced some military officers into corrupt acts.

“Soldiers who are part of the fight against galamsey are making more money than those who go to peacekeeping” Odike said.

He added that “the government has succeeded making some military officers corrupt. When the soldiers were deployed to fight galamsey, they were eager to help the fight but the galamseyers were having support from the government who declared the fight”.

“The soldiers who were deployed to fight the galamseyers were rather ordered to protect mining sites and galamseyers so they have no option than to make money instead of fighting them” he disclosed.

Over 200 soldiers were deployed to fight galamseyers destroying water bodies and land in a second major attempt to stop the menace by the Akufo-Addo led administration.

In 2017, when President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo banned galamsey activities, a taskforce consists of military and police officers were deployed to mining sites to help the fight against galamsey.