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Bonteso Bloodshed: Yammin Demands Mahama Disband ‘Extortionist’ Anti-Galamsey Taskforce
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Organizer, Joseph Yammin, has launched a scathing attack on Ghana’s anti-galamsey taskforce, urging President John Dramani Mahama to immediately disband the unit following violent clashes in Bonteso, Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region.
The confrontation between police taskforce members and locals reportedly left casualties and led to the arrest of four residents, including the area’s assembly member.
Visiting the community alongside the party’s Deputy National Secretary, Mustapha Gbande, Yamin condemned the taskforce’s conduct as “unprofessional, extortionist, and destructive.”
“I am telling the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, to, as a matter of urgency, order a stop to any mining operations being carried out by the taskforce. What they are doing can never be said to be fighting illegal mining, but rather extorting monies and creating problems,” Yamin declared to chiefs, miners, and police commanders at the meeting.
He accused the taskforce of enriching themselves at the expense of genuine small-scale miners:
“Do we want to say that there is no legal miner in Ghana? Where and how does the taskforce check mining permits? Without proper education and structure, these operations will only enrich a few individuals without solving the problem.”
Yammin therefore called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Interior Minister to immediately halt all operations nationwide, warning that the current approach risks fueling more violence.
The Bonteso clash has reignited the national debate over the effectiveness, fairness, and credibility of Ghana’s fight against illegal mining, with growing calls for a total overhaul of the taskforce’s mandate and methods.
Source:dailywatchgh.com
