"What sort of corruption is this? What kind of impunity is this? What sort of money are they looking for? All of them, from top to bottom; I’m telling you. I’m telling you. It is so annoying and it’s so money, money, money and they don’t care!” Editor-in-Chief of New Crusading Guide, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako hits the roof on New Patriotic Party (NPP) and opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) bigwigs involved in the practice of illegal mining.
Illegal small-scale mining, in local parlance called “galamsey”, has over the years become the bane of the country as several of the nation’s water bodies are destroyed and also claimed lives.
There have been numerous calls on governments to rid the country of illegal miners but they have come to naught.
It’s amazing how previous and successive governments keep failing to nip the menace in the bud, but it’s however been revealed on Wednesday's edition of Peace FM’s flagship programme, "Kokrokoo", that ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas will soon release an explosive investigative piece on the faces behind the illegal activity.
Giving excerpts of what Ghanaians should expect from the yet-to-be released investigative piece, Kweku Baako noted that galamsey operations have soared high in the country due to the roles that party gurus play in the sector, using their influence to maneuver their way through the illegal business with sheer impunity.
He noted that if the leaders, politicians, Mineral Commission, Forestry Commission and the various stakeholders will be “honest with themselves and sincere, Kwami, it will be about 60% of the solution.”
Mr. Baako expressed anger over the ‘craze for money’ by party kingpins and their involvement in the illegal activity and further blamed them for not doing much to curb the menace.
“They’re all part of it and for me; I’m a very angry person when it comes to this matter…What irritates me is when I see them; I hear them pretend they’re prescribing solutions to the matter. It irritates me. And I’m telling you, elements of the two main political parties are part of it. There may be other party members in it but because they haven’t tasted power, they haven’t had the opportunity. They do not have the opportunity to manipulate the system and pretend they’re doing something about it when they’re in fact neck deep…they manipulate the system and have their way in the galamsey business, but pretend they are fighting the menace…what sort of money at all are they looking for. I mean people in top position and those at the bottom are all part, they are destroying the environment and they don’t care"
“What sort of corruption is this? What kind of impunity is this? What sort of money are they looking for? All of them, from top to bottom; I’m telling you. I’m telling you. It is so annoying and it’s so money, money, money and they don’t care!” he lamented out on Peace FM's Kokrokoo.
Kweku Baako refused to mention names of government and political actors behind the galamsey business, stating emphatically that the Anas’ investigative footage will put to shame such characters.
"If you arrest them (especially the Chinese) today, tomorrow they are released because of their political connections....What is annoying is that right after they are released they go back to the galamsey site to continue with the illegal deeds. There is a certain Chinese woman based in Kumasi who is all over the place showing impunity, she goes about snapping pictures of some big men in Ghana and circulating them on social media to show how politically connected she is. She’s very insolent because some party gurus in the NDC were dealing with her while in power and now some NPP party gurus are also dealing with her, so for her, head or tail she’s a winner. I just don’t understand how come she’s so powerful. But sooner than latter all of this will stop.
“I’ve stopped short of mentioning names because the time for us to name and shame is coming and it will be very explosive”, adding that the investigations the multiple award-winning journalist made about the Judiciary will be just “chicken feed” as compared to the illegal mining investigations.
“And indeed I don’t think we care who will be mentioned or who will be fingered. I don’t care because really it’s too much,” he stressed.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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I reason with professor Lumumba when he said "the problem of Africans is not with the leaders but with the electrat". What would a wise person would have expected or thought ,when we were promised heaven on earth under an IMF economic.Am sure most of us knows what people do to be elected into public offices.Do they actually mean to serve. I believe is high time we understood ourselves. We sat in the same classroom with most of these people, we even calm to have performed better yet they use us today as tools to gain wealth........
Please tell Mr malik that we want him to mention names because ghana is sick and tired of this craziness. We the youth are ready to hit the street not on ddemonstration but to chase those crazy so call big men.
Ny Chairman Sefa Kai, please call wontomi...he knows all of them
Where is Chairman Wuntomi, He is the over lord of illegal mining.
You are an ***barred word***'s name, no wonder you have displayed your animalistic instinct this day. You are indeed a big dog.
It is this same corrupt NDC government that brought this wickeeed Chinese people into the country, the oil money wasn't sufficient, they needed top up with Chinese money, by the way, those who are calling Mr Baako to speak about the ministerial appointment are his hypocrateees, what was the size of ur use..leeess and corruuupt government, 70 presidential staffers including thieveees like Afriyie Ankrah, thousands of communicators and aids, all these use.leess people were on government payroll, driving landcrussers with fat salaries,outrageously bigger than what medical doctors are taking,
We are waiting to see whether Akuffo-Addo, an incorruptible president will jail them and make a difference. It is very shameful and a national disgrace to destroy water bodies because these chaps drink foreign bottled water. Parliament should ban the use of tax payers' money to buy bottled water for members of parliament. They should drink tap water as we do in the UK. Shame on them and their Chinese allies
Others are talking about ministerial appoints so it is ok if Kweku Baako talks about this. That said, do you really think ministerial appointment is more important than these guys poisoning our water and cutting our trees to mine for gold? Kweku Baako should name them all. NPP or not.
Is there a prescribed ceiling for minsters? Your mother has hit the sky
Stop talking about illegal mining and talk about the outrageous ministerial appointments which had hit the sky. Hypocrite.