The interior minister of Ghana, Mr. Mubarak Muntaka Mohammed, has given the security services a strict order to arrest anyone who tries to thwart anti-galamsey operations, regardless of their political affiliations or purported authority, to strengthen the government’s crackdown on illegal mining, also known as galamsey.
According to him, no favouritism will be tolerated in the fight against illegal mining.
Mr. Muntaka made the statement at the 17th Regional Commanders’ Conference on in Accra.
“If anybody calls you to say I have asked that you should let go of this operation, please ensure that you arrest that person,” he said fiercely.
The remarks made by Mr. Muntaka coincide with growing worries about the influence of influential people who frequently attempt to pass off illicit mining operations as political favouritism.
In order to distance himself from any future attempts to meddle in enforcement operations, he emphasised,
“I will not send you into the forest only to call back and ask you to exempt someone. That will never come from me.”
