An excavator operator at an illegal mining site in Ghana has accused some Police officers of demanding cash from illegal miners to permit them to continue their unlawful activities.
Concealing himself, he took footage of some officers engaging a man believed to be an illegal miner. He claims that during a previous visit, a crop of police officers took away GHC20,000 from the miners.
He believes that the fight against illegal mining cannot be won by the government since agents in the law enforcement field are underpaid.
This video comes at a time when Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Martin Ayisi, expressed frustration over the lack of response from the police regarding numerous reports submitted about illegal mining activities, commonly known as galamsey.
Mr Martin Ayisi lamented that despite the Commission’s ongoing efforts to combat the rampant issue threatening Ghana’s natural resources and water bodies, law enforcement has consistently failed to act on the documented instances of illegal mining.
In a public hearing before Parliament’s Assurance Committee on October 7, he indicated that officers at the Anyinam Police Station have time without number been informed of mining activities happening behind their edifice, however, no step has been taken by the security officers to address the issue.
Meanwhile, the Ghanaian government plans to deploy river guards and the navy to patrol the nation’s river bodies as part of a robust strategy to combat illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey.
This announcement was made by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, during an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show on October 8.