Operation Vanguard denies killing 4 at Akyem Kwabeng

The National Anti-galamsey Task Force has denied killing four illegal miners at Akyem Kwabeng in the Eastern Region.

Pictures of the bodies of four males smudged in mud and lying in supine positions are circulating on social media, with the caption: “Anti-galamsey Task Force killed four people at Akyem Kwabeng”, but the Public Relations Officer of the task force, Major Adams Gariba Pabi, told the Daily Graphic in an interview that the rumour was false.

“Our troops went to Akrofufu for operations from 12 noon to 5 p.m. It is alleged the issue happened in the night. We have not started night operations yet.

“We do not know exactly what happened to them, but the possibility that they were working late in the night leading to the unfortunate incident cannot be ruled out,” Major Pabi said.

He pleaded with Ghanaians to stop making up false stories against the task force.

“The propaganda against the task force is unfortunate. We are working within the ambit of the law and will not do anything untoward,” he said.

105 Illegal miners arrested

The task force has so far arrested 105 people, including a woman, since it began operation two weeks ago.

The leader of the task force, code-named “Operation Vanguard”, Col William Agyepong, in an online interview with the Daily Graphic over the weekend, gave the regional breakdown of arrests as: Eastern, 43; Western, 58, and Ashanti four.

“Their ages range from 19 to 65 years. All those arrested are in police custody and are at various stages of investigation and prosecution processes, in line with the laws of Ghana,” he said.

He said the lone female illegal miner, 35, was arrested on Saturday, August 12, 2017, at Datano in the Amansie West District in the Ashanti Region, where she was busily undertaking a ‘one-woman operation’ with her washing equipment and water pump.

Seized equipment

Col Agyepong said the task force had also seized galamsey equipment, including nine excavators, water pumps, generator sets, and more than 60 chanfan platforms, among other implements.

He said while a couple of the major equipment had been sent to police stations, a number of them had been abandoned on site as the illegal miners had immobilised the equipment.             

Support from communities

“Over our short period of deployment and interaction with the communities on the ground, the dangers and effects of illegal mining have proved to be worse than are painted in ordinary reports,” Col Agyepong said.

He highlighted some of the challenges as threat to security in communities due to the proliferation of small arms and explosives and isolated occurrences of terrorist style attacks on some communities and opponents of the trade.

“Some members of communities have been crusading against this menace and are helping the cause of the task force. One such person is the Chief of Hemang in the Fanteakwa District, Osabarima Mmirrikkissi Okasum Apori Atta.

“The local people have expressed their unflinching support and determination to assist with the cause of the task force,” Col Agyepong said.

Observation

 “One interesting feature from the analyses of the persons arrested is the fact that a number of them are not indigenes of the communities where they carry out their illegal activities.

“They are not even from the affected regions.

“They are from other regions and are only there for the illegal act. This obviously points to the fact that they do not care much about the environment where they operate,” he said.

Extent of destruction

“The activities of the National Anti-galamsey Task Force have really brought to light the extent of destruction caused by illegal mining activities.

 “Various water bodies, including rivers and streams, have lost their traditional relevance, as these have been locations for alluvial mining and used as washing places for sand collected from elsewhere.

“In certain areas, rivers have been diverted, not to mention the general environmental effects of the fuel, lubricants and various chemicals, including mercury and cyanide, used in separating the minerals. 

 “The imbalance created in the ecosystem in various places is a major cause for concern”, Col Agyepong said.

“A very worrying situation is the number of abandoned newly built water treatment plants built at millions of US dollars of the taxpayer money, but which are not producing due to the astronomical water turbidity levels caused by mining activities on our water bodies, which makes production impossible.

“Apart from the water bodies, a lot of farms are being affected by the chemicals used in the mining activities close by, not forgetting the devastation of our forest reserves,” he said.

Threats to the joint task force

He said since its operations, the National Anti-galamsey Task Force had been bewildered with a number of likely threats, including demonstrations, violent overt and covert confrontations with government security forces, presence of improvised devices left behind or intentionally planted, unfilled pits and trenches previously mined and craters dug as traps.

The way forward

He thanked Ghanaians for their support, encouragement and prayers, adding: “We resolve to push this agenda for the government and country.”

He said the task force welcomed the feedback from communities and gave an assurance that their concerns would be considered in the operations of the task force.

“The task force has resolved to win this fight and it’s on course, bearing in mind the need to operate within the ambit of the laws of the country. Operation Vanguard wants to encourage all Ghanaians to come on board in the fight against illegal mining activities,” Col Agyepong added.