Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul
•Minister Nitiwul says the NPP National Women’s Organizer is not the owner of embattled Xtra Gold Mining Company
•Madam Kate Gyamfua is rather an employee of the company.
•His revelation comes in response to allegations of government and ruling party officials being neck-deep in illegal mining activities.
Over the weekend, news broke that members of the military team undertaking a clampdown on illegal small-scale mining activities had stormed the site of a mining company belonging to the National Women of Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party and burnt up some mining equipment.
According to reports, nine (9) excavators among other equipment of Xtra Gold Mining Company Limited allegedly belonging to Madam Kate Gyamfua were burnt by the military team during the raid on the site.
The news came at the back of reports of government and officials in the ruling party being neck-deep in the galamsey menace which has discoloured and turned major rivers in the country dangerous for consumption.
But speaking at a Ministry of Information press conference on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, the Minister of Interior, Dominic Nitiwul, said he had been informed the National Women’s Organizer of his party is not the owner of the embattled mining company.
According to the Minister, Madam Gyamfua is only an employee of the company serving in the capacity of Managing Director. He further disclosed that the owner of the company is actually a Canadian and not a Ghanaian.
“Kate Gyamfua I understand is the Managing Director but there is a CEO of that company and I hear he is a Canadian or something like that. I know there is a CEO of that company but I guess people want to use her name to talk because she is, let’s say a politician or something. There is a CEO of the company, a Chief Executive Officer, I believe he is the founder and she is the Managing Director, maybe a worker,” the Minister said.
This was after the Minister, in reaction to a question about the alleged involvement of government and ruling party officials in galamsey, had reiterated that people with information confirmation such allegations owe it a duty to make their evidence available for possible investigation and action by the president who is committed to handling the situation without fear or favour.
“Any Ghanaian or anybody within Ghana or outside who has evidence that this government official is doing illegal mining, don’t leave it. It is not about Kennedy Agyapong; I am not just talking about Kennedy Agyapong or any other person. You will do harm to Ghana if you have such information and you are keeping it. Take it to the appropriate authorities, let us know.”
“I have said and I have used myself as an example twice: I have mentioned that if me, who the soldiers operate under, I am engaged in such a thing the President will fire me in a minute and prosecute me as well. So we are saying that if you are a Ghanaian and you know of somebody who is engaged in illegal mining let us know so that we take it from there,” he stated.
Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, is one of many individuals who have levelled allegations of government and party officials being involved in illegal mining activities.
The MPs allegations have, however, always come without the mentioning of names even though he has threatened to come up with names of such persons who are within his own party.