The Small Scale Miners Association, last Wednesday expressed anger over the invasion of Togo nationals who are briskly mining gold on Ghana’s river bodies.
The Association are of the strongest conviction that the sudden rise in illegal mining in the past one month, on rivers bodies should tell Ghanaians how desperate some people are to score cheap political points at the detriment of the image and reputation of the Small Scale Miners Association.
To them, the massive import of these Togolese coupled with its illegal activity, are part of a bigger scheme by some political elements to make the government unpopular ahead of the December elections .
The Ghana media space have been undaunted with discussion on the upsurge of illegal mining activities in the country, causing public outcry, with barely three months to the elections.
Further describing as “deliberate”, the small scale miners disclosed that, these Togo nationals have been sponsored into the country with the specific task to cause outrage among Ghanaians by ravaging our rivers bodies.
The association, has, therefore, sounded a warning to all those doing illegal mining on rivers to move out or face their wrath, as they will not sit by unconcerned and allow few political elements to rundown their image and business.
A strong task force by the Associationa stormed Mankranso in the Ahafo Ano South West of the region, primarily, to swoop on these foreigners on river Mankran.
The move to clamp down on these illegal foreign miners was championed by the Small Scale Miners and supported by the Minerals Commission, which reinforces the government determined commitment to fight against mining of any sorts in the rivers.
Unfortunately, most of the galamseyers who were on the river upon seeing the task force took to their heels, abandoning their equipment.
Those who luck eluded them and got arrested, could not express themselves in any Ghanaian local dialect.
According to some locals, these Togolese started this activity about a month ago on River Mankran, much to their dismay but could not confront them due to the heavy weapons these Togolese wield.
