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Small scale miner makes case for burning of his excavators

A small scale miner has appealed to the government to intervene in his case of the burning of his excavators by a military team said to be monitoring illegal mining activities. 

According to the miner, Nana NsiahBoafo, the military have burnt four excavators that were on his site at Afepaye, in the AtwimaMponua District of the Ashanti region.

The miner, who is the Vice Chairman of the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners(GNSSAM), said he has a workforce of 120, and out of the number, 35 were working at the Afepaye site where the excavators were burnt.

He said that the workers’ fate were in limbo and wondered why such an exercise could be carried out against people who have valid documents to operate.

Nana Boafo alleged that the soldiers deliberately did that and pointed out that one of the small scale miners, very close to his site, recently won an award for best practices, but he suffered the same fate.

Reiterating his call on the government to intervene in the matter, Nana Boafo said there was the need for the military to exercise caution in their operations.

The incident, which took place on February 23,this year also saw the military burning three other excavators and a 10 bedroom house at Ntobroso, in the district.

Mr Michael AduGyamfi, Ashanti Regional Secretary of GNASSM, when contacted, confirmed the membership of Nana Boafo, as a small scale miner of the association.

He appealed to the government to expedite action on the renewals of licences of the small scale miners in order for their members not to be seen as operating illegally. 

Earlier, the Operations Officer of the Central Command of the Ghana Armed Forces, Colonel Emmanuel Gyedu, mentioned the team’s commitment to ensure that the ‘Operation Halt II’ continued unabated in the fight against illegal mining popularly called ‘galamsey’, until sanity was restored in the system.

FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE, AFEPAYE

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