Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno
The Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM) is urging the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, to ensure that the police service’s anti-illegal small-scale mining unit operates within a clearly defined mandate.
According to Michael Adu Gyamfi, the Ashanti District Secretary of GNASSM, members have lodged numerous complaints regarding alleged excesses committed by the police team. Speaking to the media, Adu Gyamfi emphasised the association’s support for the government’s efforts to combat illegal mining (galamsey). However, he also stressed the importance of avoiding past mistakes that have failed to yield positive results.
Adu Gyamfi highlighted specific concerns about the police task force, alleging the unwarranted seizure of excavators parked outside mining sites for safety purposes. He also expressed dissatisfaction with what he described as continuous harassment by the police team during the transportation of mining equipment to designated sites, a situation he believes could foster corruption.
“The unwarranted accosting of Lowbed drivers to transport seized excavators without any compensation is another concern that requires immediate attention,” he stated.
Adu Gyamfi underscored the importance of learning from past experiences in the fight against galamsey. He emphasised the need to avoid repeating previous errors to achieve more effective outcomes.
According to him, GNASSM believes a clearly defined and transparent mandate for the police service is essential for progress in this area.
“The association suggests that a persuasive approach, designed to promote responsible mining and weed out illegal operators, would be a more practical and effective strategy in combating the ‘galamsey’ menace.
GNASSM believes this approach will achieve the practically achievable.”
