Friday , March 29 2024

MINISTRIES LOCK HORNS OVER MILITARY INVOLVEMENT IN GALAMSEY

There seems to be a misunderstanding between the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Defense over the alleged involvement of personnel of the Military in illegal mining otherwise known as galamsey activities in the Ashanti Region.

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu had decried on how the military had dispatched some of its men to give protection to mining companies in the Ashanti Region.

The minister who is currently on tour to the various places known for these activities met some military men in uniform at Tontokrom in the Ashanti Region who were on duty busily giving cover to the miners.

Upon interrogation, the men in uniform confirmed that they are personnel of the military who have been sent officially for that assignment. The Minister who could not fathom why the military authorities could do this in the wake of this heavy uprising against galamsey nationwide took a swipe on them.

However, the Deputy Minister of Defense, Major Rtd. Derrick Oduro, who has been responding to the issue has stated that, the minister of lands and other Ghanaians who are chastising the military have not been fair since the military also agrees to the fight against the canker and might not have deployed men to guard galamseyers which means the minister might have mistakenly taken ordinary citizens who were in military uniform to be true military men.

“We need to investigate very well to establish whether they are true military men…but the minister did not help us he should have taken his time before blowing the matter, the men might have even been deployed by the former administration and we should also desist from chastising the military with insults” he stated on Pink Fm’s Omanbapa Kasa.

Number of Military Personnel

Meanwhile, Mr. Joseph Quarm, Manso Nkwanta Legislator who spoke on the same program confirmed that, the men were true military officers and police personnel with their identities and security equipment from both the military and the police.

He also added that, their number was greater than the earlier one in the various media reports which suggested about two.

“I was there myself, I went with the minister and they were more than ten….these were true military and police officers who even showed their identification to us” he revealed.

 

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