Mpohor DCE accused of engaging galamsey operations

There is growing discontent emerging in Mpohor district of the Western region as residents blame Ignatius Asaah Mensah, DCE for Mpohor, for allegedly making it difficult to end the menace of illegal mining (galamsey) in the district.

In a prolonged account of accusations, residents in the district said without the involvement of the government's district chief executive in illegal mining, this disturbing picture of wanton destruction of farmlands in search of gold would not have been possible.

The accusing fingers are now being pointed against the government, and NPP chronicles how on many occasions, the DCE for Mpohor has been summoned to the seat of government, only to be cleared of any wrongdoing, and returns to assure galamseyers to operate under his protection.

Under the guise of giving meaning to legal mining in the area, which was even illegal, the Mpohor DCE is alleged to have recently charged every galamseyer 30 Ghana cedis for the acquisition of a TIN number, a registration exercise which was to attract no fee, but it did. This corrupt engagement has not been investigated, the residents added.

Residents are also angered by how the DCE for Mpohor brags about protection from the son of Stephen Kraikue, a founding father of NPP, and political icon in the district.

Contributing to the canker of illegal mining in the Mpohor district despite the President's pledge to regularize legitimate small scale community mining, the Wassa Youth Forum stated that the DCE for Mpohor cannot be insulated from blame, accusing him of supporting illegal miners. "He is directly and indirectly involved", the Forum emphasized.

The Forum expressed worry about how national security and intelligence gathering operatives have gathered the facts of political leaders involvement in illegal mining in the Mpohor district, wondering why the government has not acted on these leads to nail the perpetrators.

It is common knowledge in the Mpohor district, how just a couple of days ago personnel from "operation vanguard" confiscated two excavators from notorious illegal miners, only for the DCE of Mpohor to come to their rescue, the Forum stated unequivocally.

The Wassa Youth Forum in a strongly worded message to local traditional authorities warned that "it was unacceptable, their inaction on holding the Mpohor DCE in check due to his contribution in sustaining illegal mining in the district".

The danger, the Forum said, points to an impending time bomb which will be detonated by youths in the Mpohor district as a result of how illegal mining is becoming more pronounced at the full glare of DCE Ignatius Asaah Mensah.

The NPP Mp for Mpohor, Alex Kofi Agyekum, had also come for mention as a silent observer of this illegality as he also engages in developmental propaganda, not necessarily to support illegal mining, but protecting his cronies who are engaged in it, causing division in the party's rank and file, and peddling falsehoods.

"This is leading to dwindling support for the NPP in the Mpohor district", the Forum explained.

The President's fight against illegal mining is becoming a failure in the Mpohor district, and no individual should be protected for working against such a national initiative to nourish a parochial interest, and the acquisition of ill-gotten wealth through corrupt practices, the Wassa Youth Forum emphasized.