A group of Concerned Responsible Small Scale Miners, are appealing to the President John Dramani Mahama through the Lands and Natural Resources minister to as a matter of urgency call in order the deputy Ashanti regional security coordinator, Alhaji Abdullah Umaru Njeh over what the angry miners claim as’ Harassment and Intimidation ‘ with regards to their mining operations.
The Responsible Small Scale Miners alleged to this newspaper that the deputy Ashanti regional security coordinator has mobilised a group of thugs together with some bloggers who have been frequently chasing out small scale miners who are mining responsibly at their various sites which is very bad.
The miners argue that the President who is also the Commander – In – Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has made it clearly that it is solely the responsibility of the National Anti Illegal Mining Operations (NAIMOS) task force team who the law permits them to embark upon illegal mining (Galamsey) operations across the country where mining activities finds itself but Alhaji Abdullah Umaru Njeh is leading another task force team sanctioned by the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (ARCC) to harass and intimidate miners who are not operating criminal activities.
The Responsible Small Scale Miners further disclosed that when an excavator is seized by the deputy Ashanti regional security coordinator and his team at the mining site for operating legally, not less than an amount of Ghc 100,000 is being demanded for an excavator confiscated before its release to the miner which is a clear attempt to cripple down and collapse the small scale mining business in the Ashanti region for no tangible reasons.
The miners further lament to this newspaper through their spokesperson Kwaku Asante that most of them have gone to the banks to secure huge sums of loans to invest in their mining ventures with high interest paid on the loans acquired and for the deputy Ashanti regional security coordinator and his so – called task force team to come and harass them (miners) how will they paid for their loans and the interest placed on the loans.
Checks conducted by this newspaper from the Minerals commission office in Kumasi revealed that the commission is not aware of the deputy Ashanti regional security coordinator’s task force team formed to embark upon illegal mining (Galamsey) operations.
The Responsible Small Scale Miners are by this calling on the government through the minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah to call into order Alhaji Abdullah Umaru Njeh to order to allow NAIMOS task force team to embark upon their mandated task assigned to the by the President.