Ghana’s small-scale mining sector is teetering on the brink of collapse, as the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM) unleashes a desperate plea to the government to stop the relentless intimidation and extortion that is crippling its members. “Enough is Enough!” declared the association, signaling a boiling point in a crisis that threatens the livelihoods of thousands.
In a fiery press briefing, Alhaji Musah Osman Bance, Chairman of the council of elders for GNASSM Ashanti, painted a harrowing picture of a sector under siege. “Our members are being preyed upon, extorted from, and driven to the edge of despair,” Alhaji Osman thundered, his voice echoing the frustration of countless miners. “We have reached a breaking point where our members are paying to operate and not to get money, which doesn’t seem good at all”.
The GNASSM claims that the very authorities tasked with curbing illegal mining – the security agencies and party factions involved in this crime – are the ones leading the charge. They allege that the current operations against “galamsey” have descended into a chaotic free-for-all, where the only goal is to line the pockets of corrupt officials, who take monies from members for no reason.
Reports are flooding in of law-abiding miners being harassed, threatened, and forced to hand over exorbitant sums of money to those claiming to act on behalf of the government.
The association calls for drastic action, demanding a government intervention that will rescue small-scale miners from the clutches of these corrupt figures.
Michael Adu Gyamfi, the Ashanti district GNASSM secretary, said, the Goldbod Initiative is on the verge of collapse should the government turn a blind eye to the activities of these miscreants.
Drawing a comparison to the cocoa sector, Mr. Adu Gyamfi disclosed that small scale miners deserve the same protection given to farmers from the government adding that if indeed the government wants the success of the goldbod.
In a final plea, the GNASSM is demanding that the government act decisively to safeguard the livelihoods of its members and create a secure environment for small-scale mining in Ghana before it’s too late.
