The Suhum Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) has held an emergency meeting to address concerns over reported illegal mining activities in communities around the Suhum Municipality, with the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. Lydia Ohenewa, insisting that no galamsey activity is currently taking place within the municipality.
According to the MCE, recent mining activities reported in the Esaase area are occurring outside the jurisdiction of the Suhum Municipal Assembly and fall under the Abuakwa South Municipality.
Speaking after the emergency MUSEC meeting, Hon. Ohenewa said she can state on authority that there is no ongoing illegal mining operation within the Suhum Municipality.
“I, the Municipal Chief Executive for Suhum, can say on authority that there is no galamsey activity ongoing in the municipality.”
The MCE explained that the Suhum Municipality shares boundaries with neighbouring municipalities, including Abuakwa South and Ayensuano, where mining activities are currently taking place.
She said the geographical proximity of these areas could have contributed to the impression that the mining activities were occurring within Suhum.
According to her, the area where the current mining operation is taking place is located in the Abuakwa South Municipality and not within the administrative boundaries of Suhum.
She specifically identified Esaase as a community within Abuakwa South Municipality where the reported mining activities are ongoing.
Hon. Ohenewa said the Suhum Assembly has nonetheless been actively monitoring developments around its boundaries and taking steps whenever activities that could potentially affect the municipality are detected.
The MCE disclosed that during a recent tour of the municipality, she personally witnessed an excavator being transported towards Esaase.
She said, because of concerns over the movement of the heavy-duty equipment, she immediately contacted the Suhum Municipal Police Commander.
According to her, the police responded by intercepting the excavator, arresting the driver and taking him into custody.
“The excavator and the driver were arrested and are currently at the police custody assisting with investigations,” she said.
The MCE said the incident demonstrates the Assembly’s willingness to cooperate with the security agencies to prevent illegal mining-related activities from spreading into the municipality.
She added that the Assembly had also engaged the Abuakwa South Municipal Assembly to better understand the situation and establish the precise location of the ongoing mining activities.
Hon. Ohenewa further disclosed that the Suhum Municipal Assembly had met with the Presiding Member of the Abuakwa South Municipal Assembly, who is also the Assembly Member for the Odumase Electoral Area, where the reported mining activities are currently taking place.
The engagement, she said, was intended to clarify the jurisdictional boundaries and coordinate efforts in dealing with the situation.
She maintained that while the reported activities may be occurring close to Suhum, they should not be attributed to the Suhum Municipal Assembly or described as illegal mining within the municipality without proper verification.
The MCE also rejected claims attributed to the Member of Parliament for Suhum, Hon. Frank Asiedu Bekoe, regarding illegal mining activities in the municipality.
She described the MP’s claims as inaccurate and said the matter could have been properly addressed if the MP had first consulted the Municipal Assembly.
“All I can say is that there is no galamsey or illegal mining activity in Suhum. What the Member of Parliament for Suhum, Hon. Frank Asiedu Bekoe, said was false,” she stated.
According to Hon. Ohenewa, the MP, as a Member of Parliament, should have engaged the Assembly before making public assertions about illegal mining activities within the municipality.
She said such consultation would have allowed the relevant authorities to conduct proper investigations and establish the facts before the issue became a subject of political controversy.
The MCE’s position comes amid a growing political disagreement between the governing NDC and the opposition NPP over reported mining activities around Esaase and Krobomu.
The Suhum NPP has defended Hon. Frank Asiedu Bekoe, insisting that his involvement in the matter was aimed at drawing attention to concerns raised by residents and finding a solution to the reported environmental degradation.
According to the NPP, following the MP’s visit to the affected communities, he personally contacted the MCE and briefed her about his findings.
The party further said the MP invited the MCE to visit the affected communities so that they could jointly assess the situation and work towards addressing the concerns raised by residents.
The NPP argued that the MP’s actions should therefore not be interpreted as an attempt to facilitate mining activities.
Rather, it said, his intervention was intended to ensure that the concerns of residents were brought to the attention of the relevant authorities.
The NPP has also rejected allegations seeking to link the Suhum MP to mining activities allegedly carried out in the area in 2024.
The party challenged the NDC and anyone making such allegations to provide concrete evidence to support the claims.
It argued that allegations of illegal mining should not be reduced to political accusations, particularly given the potential environmental and public health implications of galamsey.
The party said any credible evidence suggesting that the MP or any other individual was involved in, facilitated or benefited from illegal mining should be submitted to the appropriate state institutions for investigation.
“If anyone has credible evidence against the MP or any other person, the appropriate institutions should investigate the matter,” the NPP maintained.
Despite the disagreement over the location and responsibility for the reported activities, the NPP has called for a comprehensive investigation into the Esaase-Krobomu situation.
The party wants the alleged mining activities and the roles of individuals reportedly connected to the operations to be thoroughly examined.
It specifically called for the actions of the Assembly Member, the MCE and other persons allegedly connected to the matter to be investigated.
The party said anyone found to have facilitated illegal mining, breached environmental regulations or violated the law must be held accountable, regardless of political affiliation.
It has consequently called on the Minerals Commission, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Water Resources Commission, Ghana Police Service and other relevant institutions to establish the facts surrounding the reported mining activities.
The latest development has consequently shifted part of the debate from the existence of mining activities to the question of jurisdiction and accountability.
While the NPP maintains that residents have raised concerns over environmental degradation in the Esaase-Krobomu area and wants the matter investigated, the Suhum Municipal Assembly insists that the reported mining operation is outside its jurisdiction.
The MCE’s account also indicates that the Assembly is monitoring activities along its boundaries and has engaged neighbouring authorities over developments in areas that share borders with Suhum.
With both sides calling for facts and accountability, attention is now expected to turn to the relevant state agencies to independently establish the location of the mining operations, the legality of the activities and the identities of any individuals or entities involved.
For the Suhum Municipal Assembly, however, the immediate position remains clear: there is no ongoing galamsey activity within the Suhum Municipality, according to the MCE.
By 1960news.com
