District Chief Executive caught in galamsey act

Job Okyere and Stephen Yeboah

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Atwima Mponua in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, Stephen Yeboah seems to have incurred the displeasure of some people in the district who have accused him of engaging in illegal mining also known as ‘galamsey.’

He was heckled by some people while delivering a speech that condemned the rise in illegal mining at a programme.

Even before the beleaguered DCE, Mr Yeboah could end his statement, most of the attendants, who were mainly cocoa farmers, shouted in disapproval.

“Galamsey is destroying our water bodies and depleting our forests and farms, and it is about time that we all unite as one people to tackle ‘galamsey’ and all its devastating effects, the DCE told the cocoa farmers.

Surprisingly, most of the cocoa farmers, including elderly women, who were comfortably seated and listening attentively, shouted: “you are the king of ‘galamsey’ in this district.”

The DCE, who certainly heard the shouts of the farmers, ignored the protest from the farmers and continued his speech which mainly centred on the need for ‘galamsey’ operators to be banished from the area.

Job Okyere, one of the aggrieved cocoa farmers, told the media later that the DCE was allegedly engaged in ‘galamsey’ activities at Nagoode, Achiase and Akomfere, all in the Atwima Mponua District.

Mr Okyere said he was surprised that the DCE, who is a key supporter of ‘galamsey’ operators in the district, was openly condemning illegal mining at a public function, charging the DCE to put a stop to his hypocritical behaviour.

The irate cocoa farmer said illegal mining had destroyed most of the river bodies in the district and the environment, adding that illegal mining operators pose a serious threat to cocoa farms.

DCE response

When Stephen Yeboah was contacted by the media, he surprisingly refused to comment, saying that the programme was not the appropriate platform for him to respond to the accusations.

The DCE, who had earlier condemned the ascendancy of illegal mining in the area, stated that all those that are presently mining gold in the district have licences to operate as small-scale miners.

He made this known during the presentation of the annual report and financial statement of Kookoo Pa Farmers Association which was held at Nyinahin on Friday.