The Chief of Manso Keneago, Nana Obeng Mensah Ababio II, has called on the government to institute an extensive investigation into the operations of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), accusing the anti-galamsey task force of targeting small-scale miners while allegedly sparing influential individuals behind illegal mining activities.
In a video in which he made the allegations, the traditional ruler denied supporting illegal mining, insisting that his engagements with state institutions, including the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), the Minerals Commission and the Lands Commission, were aimed at addressing environmental degradation and reclaiming lands destroyed by mining.
He challenged NAIMOS officials to deny his claim that he had previously engaged the secretariat to arrest individuals suspected of illegal mining, insisting that he supported the operation.
The chief also said he had personally paid for a lowbed used during an operation, adding that he had not received any share of the GH¢380,000 he claimed was taken from those involved.
“If it is because NAIMOS came here, I want to ask the head that I have engaged NAIMOS to effect the arrest of someone, and I support that. If I am lying, the NAIMOS officials should come and deny it,” he said in the video.
He further challenged the secretariat to establish whether he had received any portion of the alleged GH¢3.8 billion or whether any of the money had been given to him.
Forest reserve at centre of dispute
Nana Ababio II alleged that some individuals were undertaking mining activities in forest reserves within the area and suggested that his opposition to the activities had made him a target.
“They are after me because of the forest. Wednesday is a forbidden day over here, but these people mine here,” he said.
According to the chief, he had dispatched a delegation to the forest to engage the alleged miners, but members of the group challenged his authority over the disputed territory.
He maintained that the miners were not the appropriate people to determine the boundaries between Manso Keneago and Nkawie.
The chief further alleged that when NAIMOS personnel arrived in the area, he urged them to proceed to the forest reserves where the mining activities were taking place.
He claimed, however, that soldiers at Nkawie arrested the NAIMOS personnel but released them later that same day.
The circumstances surrounding the alleged arrest and release were not independently established from the video.
Cites reclamation efforts
Defending his position on illegal mining, the chief said he had engaged the EPA to bring personnel to the area to facilitate reclamation activities.
He also said he had brought representatives of the Minerals Commission and the Lands Commission to help develop an appropriate approach to mining and address the environmental consequences of the activities.
According to him, he had urged the district authorities to chart a sustainable course to prevent further environmental destruction and protect residents from the dangers posed by abandoned mining pits.
He warned that unfilled mining pits could become death traps, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall, when residents could accidentally fall into them or be swept away by floodwaters.
The traditional ruler said he had also informed the Asantehene of his determination not to allow further degradation of the forest reserves.
Alleges threats to his life
Nana Ababio II further alleged that his opposition to mining activities in the forest had resulted in threats to his life, claiming that some individuals had tagged him for allegedly obstructing their operations and threatened that he should be shot.
He also criticised what he described as the selective nature of NAIMOS operations, arguing that the task force concentrated on arresting young people at mining sites while allegedly leaving the financiers and influential individuals responsible for the destruction of forest reserves untouched.
He said the task force arrested young people and circulated videos of their arrests, while the alleged masterminds continued their activities.
The chief consequently appealed to the government to investigate the incident and the circumstances surrounding the operations of NAIMOS in the area.
He maintained that the fight against illegal mining would yield meaningful results only if enforcement efforts targeted not just those found at mining sites but also the individuals financing and organising the activities.
