Workers at the mining site of the National Women’s Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party Kate Gyamfua are pointing fingers at the Member of Parliament for Atewa West, Amoako Atta, who is also Minister of Roads and Highways for being behind the incident.
The workers cited a press conference held a few months ago by some Youth in Akyem Kwabeng threatening to expose Kate Gyamfua’s mining activities after Kate Gyamfua allegedly accused the Minister of constructing world-class roads in his Constituency at the expense of others.
The workers said the military task force who came to the site spent hours until an order from above gave them go-ahead to set the mining equipment ablaze.
On Sunday, May 16, 2021, the Taskforce invaded the mining site of the National Women’s Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Kate Gyamfua at Akyem Akropong in Atewa West District and set ablaze eight (8) excavators, a dozer, and 20 water pumping machines.
Among the burnt mining equipment were three brand new excavators and a dozer being used for reclamation.
The task force also seized a pump actions gun being used to provide security at the site and molested the security man on duty.
A worker at the mining site lamented the action of the military taskforce ” this is bad. A whole National Women’s Organizer whose party is in power, and you do this to her ?.Look at how this woman supported the campaign of the NPP in 2016 and 2020. This is very bad. Nana Akufo Addo should continue doing this to the party we shall all see. The election will come again. Where should we go and work to feed our family. If they want us to engage in a robbery they should tell us”.
He added “this is not galamsey site. We use our dam to wash the gold and recycle it. They burnt 8 excavators, a dozer here, and about 20 pumping machines. The excavators include four brand new ones.
Kate Gyamfua supported the NPP Party with a huge amount so why treat her like this. We have nothing to tell Nana Addo”
Yesterday’s Operation saw a total of about twenty (20) excavators and dozens of water pumping machines reportedly torched in the Atewa enclave, according to the small-scale miners Association.
A Spokesperson for the Small Scale Miners in Eastern Region Huseini Suronim said, most of the excavators were rented.
He said this has incurred huge debt to the affected miners who would have to purchase the excavators from the rental companies.
“One excavator cost about $120,000 so you can imagine the implications it is going to have on the affected persons. Burning of the excavators is not right and must be condemned”
