KEY POINTS
- Ashigbey demands EOCO arrest Yamin and Abanga over galamsey.
- He warns selective justice weakens Ghana’s fight against illegal mining.
- Calls for prosecution of Chairman Wontumi remain unanswered.
The fight against illegal mining in Ghana has reignited political tensions after Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, convener of the Anti-Galamsey Coalition, demanded the arrest of two senior opposition figures linked to galamsey. He accused the Economic and Organised Crime Office of dragging its feet despite explicit instructions from the Attorney-General to investigate the officials.
EOCO pressed to act on galamsey case
Ashigbey named Joseph Yamin, the National Democratic Congress’ National Organiser, and Yakubu Abanga, the party’s National Vice Chairman, as individuals allegedly tied to unauthorized mining operations. A July 15 directive from Attorney-General Dominic Akuritinga Ayine ordered EOCO to summon both men for questioning.
But more than a month later, Ashigbey said EOCO has taken no visible action. Speaking on Channel One TV, he called for consistency in law enforcement regardless of political affiliation, urging investigators to move as swiftly against the NDC executives as they did against figures from the ruling New Patriotic Party.
Galamsey fight demands impartial justice
According to MyJoyOnline, Ashigbey also renewed calls for the prosecution of Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, the NPP’s Ashanti Regional Chairman and a central figure in the Akonta Mining scandal. He questioned the silence surrounding EOCO’s probe into Wontumi, warning that selective enforcement undermines public trust.
“We are still in the dark about what is happening with Akonta Mining,” Ashigbey said. “Both Wontumi and his fellow directors must be brought before the courts if the law is to mean anything.”
The coalition leader’s remarks explains the mounting frustration among activists who believe the galamsey fight is being compromised by political influence, as the environmental and social toll of illegal mining continues to increase.
