A group of concerned citizens has called on the government to protect communities from illegal miners and their agents in Sefwi Abrokofe and other galamsey affected communities.
It comes after an 18-year-old boy was shot dead and two others injured by security personnel of some Chinese illegal miners in Abrokofe, a community in the Juaboso District of the Western North Region.
The shooting incident happened on Wednesday (23 August when the victims, who were members of the community, went to the mining site to work.
The deceased, Kofi King Arthur, was shot in the chest and died on the spot. The two injured victims, Joseph Tawiah and Albert Oppong, were shot in the thigh and lower back, respectively.
They are receiving treatment at the St John of God Hospital at Sefwi Asafo.
A statement issued by the group of Concerned Citizens on Monday (4 September) called on the security services to clamp down on the activities of illegal miners in the area and adjoining communities.
“We the undersigned register our outrage at the shooting of teenagers by illegal miners at Sefwi Abrokofe, in the Sefwi Juaboso District.
“We note that according to the Police Service, the person who allegedly shot the teenagers at Sefwi Abrokofe, killing one and injuring two has now been arrested and is in police custody.”
“The Ghana Police Service has a mandate “to protect and preserve internal security of the country through law enforcement”, and we urge the Police to act on its mandate, by protecting the Sefwi Abrokofe community from illegal miners.,” the statement said.
Below is the full statement:
PRESS RELEASE
4th September 2023
Concerned Citizens Call For Justice For Teenagers Shot By Security Officer Of Chinese Illegal Miners
A group of concerned citizens is calling for the Police Service to protect communities from illegal miners and their agents in Sefwi Abrokofe and other galamsey affected communities. It has produced the following communique seeking justice for the teenagers shot by a security officer of Chinese illegal miners:
We the undersigned register our outrage at the shooting of teenagers by illegal miners at Sefwi Abrokofe, in the Sefwi Juaboso District.
We note that according to the Police Service, the person who allegedly shot the teenagers at Sefwi Abrokofe, killing one and injuring two has now been arrested and is in police custody.
The Ghana Police Service has a mandate “to protect and preserve internal security of the country through law enforcement”, and we urge the Police to act on its mandate, by protecting the Sefwi Abrokofe community from illegal miners.
We also urge Operation Halt to end the activities of illegal miners in Sefwi Abrokofe and other communities including Sefwi Boinzan, Sefwi Agyemsndiem, Asempaneye, Kwawkrom, Mafia, and Bonsu Nkwanta.
Reports reaching us that the Police arrested the brother of the deceased teenager before arresting the person who shot the teenagers are unbelievable. We find it worrying that a grieving family should be subjected to further trauma.
We thank the Boinzan assembly man for securing the release of the teenager who was arrested.
The perception should not be that there is a pattern of protecting alleged criminals rather than those whose safety and livelihood is being threatened.
Recently, Environmental Activists in Assemkrom trying to protect their environment from illegal miners were arrested on what they believe to be trumped up charges.
Our information is that the teenagers took the advice of the President to be “active citizens, not spectators”, and were protecting their environment from the destructive activities of illegal miners. They put their lives on the line, and sadly one lost his life. This is not the first-time young people protecting the environment have been killed. Ghanaians have a constitutional right to feel safe in their own country.
Armed illegal miners pose a clear and present danger.
We respectfully call on His Excellency the President to focus on restoring the constitutional and democratic rights of Ghanaians that have been snatched by armed illegal miners, cause the removal of illegal miners who have invaded our communities and ensure that sanity is restored, before contemplating invading Niger or any other country.
Signed
Awula Serwah
Eco-Conscious Citizens
https://Linktr.ee/EcoConsciousCitizens
Kwaku, Eco-Conscious Citizen
Nana Asante, Global Afrikan Congress
Nii Maama, Eco-Conscious Citizen
Elizabeth Allua Vaah, Ghana Environmental Advocacy Group
Bright Kwaku Bobby
Ghana Environmental Advocacy Group
Richard Kwaku Tetteh Asumah, Citizens Across Cultures Foundation
Kofi Brako-Asamoah
Centre for Environment and Rural Development.
Iddrisu B. Kudus
Civic Ghana Alliance
Oliver Asante, Eco-Conscious Citizen
Stephanie Nkansah, Concerned Citizen
Maxwell Ankamah
Atronsu Youths and Farmers against Community Mining/Small Scale Mining
Pastor Prince Benjamin Mawutor
Eco Conscious Citizens
Kenneth Agyir
Youth Alliance for Green Ghana (YAGG)
Edwin Kweku Andoh Baffour on behalf of Food Sovereignty Ghana
Koku Akwayena, Concerned Citizen
Perk Pomeyie,
Ghana Youth Environmental Movement (GYEM)
Kwesi Nemi
Ghana Environmental Advocacy Group
Reporting by Fred Dzakpata in Accra
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