Drokrochiwa Chief rejects galamsey bribe

The Chief of Dokrochiwa Dawu, in the Eastern Region, Barima Ogyeahoho Anom, has said the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, can only be won if people place national interest above their parochial interests.

Consequently, he has advised those in decision-making positions not to be lured by offers from those engaged in illegal mining, as that would be ‘selling the conscience and interest of their communities.’

Barima Anom said he has had to reject a bribe of GH¢50,000 and other incentives aimed at allowing illegal mining (galamsey) activities in his area.

“I was offered GH¢50,000 for that to happen, but I refused vehemently, no matter the amount or what is involved, I will never succumb to that. That money will not do anything, considering how long it takes for land to recover from such devastation.”

The chief made these remarks during a community engagement last Thursday, when a delegation from the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), UNICEF, and Members of Parliament visited Ayensuano and Dokrochiwa to monitor issues related to child labour and trafficking.

The visit formed part of ongoing efforts by ACEPA and UNICEF to assess child protection systems in mining-prone areas and to promote alternative livelihoods for youth in affected communities.

The delegation included Senior Governance Advisor at the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Issifu Lampo; Chief of Social Policy and Inclusion at UNICEF Ghana, Paulina Sarvilahti; Chief of Child Protection at UNICEF Ghana, Lucia Soleti; Head of the Social Welfare and Community Development Department, Francis Adjartey; and District Chief Executive for Ayensuano, Hon. Joshua Yaw Lartey.

Also present were the Chairman of Parliament’s Human Rights Committee and MP for Kumawu, Hon. Ernest Yaw Anim, and the Chairman of the Employment, Labour Relations and Pensions Committee and MP for Afram Plains South, Hon. Joseph Appiah Boateng. 

Powerful individuals

The chief further stated that one person had already been identified as the main actor behind a galamsey site in the community, but despite several invitations, the individual had refused to appear before traditional authorities.

“He has just refused to come, and that will not deter me from stopping his acts; I will never allow that under my watch.”

arima Anom also accused powerful individuals of financing the illegal operations.

“It is not the youth buying those excavators; they are too expensive. It is the big people who are behind all this.

They use our young ones as labourers while they sit in comfort and count their money.

Meanwhile, the land, the rivers, and our children’s future are being destroyed.

When the damage is done, they move on, and we are left to suffer the consequences,” he said.

Barima Anom, however, made a strong appeal for harsher punishments to deter offenders, suggesting that stiffer sanctions could help curb the menace.

“We need laws that truly bite. If it takes the harshest penalties, even life sentences, to stop this destruction, so be it.

Only strong enforcement will end this menace,” Barima Anom said.

Additionally, he called on parents to discourage their children from abandoning school to engage in illegal mining, describing the situation as a national crisis that goes beyond politics.

“This is not about NPP or NDC; our children will suffer if we don’t act now,” he stressed.