Small-scale miners in the Ashanti Region have issued a stern two-week ultimatum to the government, demanding an immediate investigation into widespread allegations of extortion and intimidation by security personnel tasked with curbing illegal mining operations across the country.
The warning was handed down by the Progressive Small Scale Miners Association of Ghana, following what they describe as systematic harassment by personnel involved in anti-galamsey drives.
According to the association, uniformed military officers, police personnel, National Security operatives, and officials from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) have turned anti-mining raids into lucrative extortion schemes. The miners also implicated certain Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in aiding these unauthorized activities.
Affected miners revealed that operational teams have forced operators to pay exorbitant sums—reaching up to 2.5 million Ghana Cedi in some instances—under the threat of seizing equipment or destroying mining sites. Leadership of the association noted that several affected members possess mobile money payment records proving the transactions, adding that security operatives frequently carry out these raids using unmarked and unregistered vehicles.
Recent incidents were reported at Alahasan Aqua Mining and surrounding operational grounds in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region, where miners allege task force members used high-handed tactics to force compliance.
The association is calling on executive authorities to immediately freeze security operations targeting registered small-scale mining communities to allow for meaningful dialogue. They are advocating for the creation of an alternative joint task force spearheaded by technical regulators, specifically the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to oversee compliance.
Furthermore, the leadership expressed deep concern over what they characterized as an alarming “shoot-to-kill” posture adopted by certain armed units during field raids, urging an end to harsh measures that jeopardize human life.
Failure by the government to address these concerns within the fourteen-day window will trigger a massive, nationwide demonstration alongside a total two-month shutdown of all small-scale mining activities across Ghana.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana