The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Twifo-Atti-Morkwa, Isaac Yawson, has firmly dismissed allegations that Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) are complicit in illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
“I don’t agree with anyone who says we are part of the problem. We are working hard to stop this,” he said on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem morning show.
The DCE said the government has made progress in fighting illegal mining and that his district has been active in enforcement.
“Since I became DCE, we have arrested many young people involved in galamsey and seized the equipment they use,” he noted, adding, “If anyone has evidence that I or any other DCE or MCE is using dubious means, they should bring it forward.”
As part of immediate measures, Mr. Yawson is calling for a total ban on the importation of changfan machines—equipment widely used for illegal mining.
He stressed that preventing the machines from entering Ghana is “the most effective way to curb the menace.”
“If these machines cannot enter the country, then the miners will not be able to operate. But if they are still being brought in, this problem will never end,” he warned.
He further suggested that stopping changfan imports at the ports would be a game-changer.
“If these machines are seized right at the ports, it will go a long way to stop the practice,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Convenor of the Anti-Galamsey Coalition, Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, has urged President John Dramani Mahama to immediately dismiss all MMDCEs and Police Commanders in communities where illegal mining persists.
Mr. Yawson, however, stood his ground: “We are not the problem — we are part of the solution.”
Source: Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy
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