Hot!
Land Ministry to clamp down on illegal clay miners at Shama
Illegal clay miners in the Shama enclave of the Western Region have been given an ultimatum to cease their operations or face sanctions from the government, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr George Mireku Duker, has warned.
He stressed: “The District Security Committee (DISEC) has been directed to clamp down on illegal clay mining and take steps to regularise their operations to ensure sanity and also save the environment in Shama areas.This cannot continue.”
Mr Duker gave the directives in an interview with journalists recently, after he had toured a degraded illegal clay mining site at Old Daboase Junction, in the Shama District of the Western Region.
The visit revealed large tracts of devastated lands dotted with deep ponds.
The Deputy Minister declared : “The ministry will collaborate with the Minstry of Trade and Industry and together we find ways of dealing with the ceramic companies because the clay miners are mining illegally and the companies are condoning and conniving with illegal miners. They are stopping today.”
Although, he declined to give details and timelines on the ultimatum, Mr Duker maintained that until there was order in the clay mining industry, the directive to Shama Assembly was still binding.
He said:“It’s unfortunate; if you want to mine, follow the protocols and mine according to the dictates of the law. I have given some specific assigments to DISEC which they will soon roll out but as for the details I can’t disclose them.”
The Deputy Minister added :“DISEC is to take control and make sure they regulate their activities. those who want to mine must secure licences before they do so.”
On the degraded clay mine site at Old Daboase junction, he disclosed that somebody got the site and was mining illegally.
One critical issue at the sites, he noted, was reclamation of land after mining and indicated government’s desire to ensure that it was done in accordance with the law.
Mr Duker told the journalists that companies which benefitted from the clay would collaborate with the clay mining association to reclaim all degraed sites at Shama.
“If you want to mine, you must acquire the necessary licences and follow all the protocols in accordance with the dictates of the law. We need all hands on the deck and ensure that mining becomes an enviable business in this country.” he stated.
Reacting to allegations that the Shama Assembly had taken money from the clay miners for reclamation, he said, “we’ll investigate it, because they are not licensed and so you can’t take something from them.”
Meanwhile, at a meeting with small scale miners, he revealed that government records showed that all mining operators at Shama had no licences, and, therefore, engaged in illegalities.
The Deputy Minister of mining told the meeting that the United States in 2015 bagged about $1.4billion and 1.9 billion in 2019 respectively from the clay industy, noting that same could not be said about Ghana’s industry.
He regretted that illegal Ghanaian clay miners were condoning with foreign tile makers and depriving Ghana of getting benefits from the natural gifts because of selfish interests.
From Clement Adzei Boye, Old Daboase Junction
Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, says more than 15,000 Ghanaian workers have lost their jobs following a directive issued by the Chief of Staff.
According to him, the dismissals affected not only people employed after the 2024 general elections, as stated in the directive, but also workers who had been lawfully employed as far back as 2017.
Raising the issue on the floor of Parliament, Mr. Afenyo-Markin said the Minority uncovered evidence showing serious excesses in the implementation of the directive.
“We became aware that although the letter was specific to those recruited after the 2024 elections, Ghanaian youth who were employed as far back as 2017 were all dismissed from their lawful employment,” he said.
He explained that the Minority filed a motion in Parliament to investigate the matter, which was admitted by the Speaker. However, the process has faced several delays.
According to him, the Majority Leader raised a preliminary objection to the motion, which was upheld by the First Deputy Speaker. The Minority later filed a motion for review under the rules of Parliament, which was also admitted.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin said the review motion was moved by him and seconded by the Member of Parliament for Ofoasi- Ayirebi, while the Majority Chief Whip, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor , began the debate on behalf of the Majority side.
He noted that the House was expected to continue the debate the following Tuesday to allow the Speaker to rule on the matter, but this has not happened due to other parliamentary business.
“Several times the motion appeared on the Order Paper, but we could not take it,” he stated.
The Minority Leader stressed that the delay is having serious consequences for affected workers and their families.
“This is a matter that affects the livelihood of Ghanaians. We have in excess of 15,000 Ghanaian youths affected by this directive, and they are still at home,” he said.
He added that the Minister for Employment has acknowledged receiving petitions on the issue and has initiated investigations, but said that should not stop Parliament from carrying out its own inquiry.
“These Ghanaian youths are sitting at home. Their wives, their extended families are all affected. It has been over a year, and they are not getting any justice,” he added.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin appealed to the Leader of Government Business to ensure that the motion is included in Parliament’s report and debated to allow the House to make a final decision on the matter.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Director of Communications for the United Party, Solomon Owusu, has expressed strong disappointment following the Supreme Court decision to quash the rerun of the Kpandai parliamentary election.
Mr Owusu made his views known while reacting to the ruling, stressing that he would feel deeply disappointed if he were in the position of Matthew Nyindam, the current Member of Parliament for Kpandai.
He explained that the High Court had earlier examined the case in detail and arrived at a clear determination on the matter.
According to him, the High Court found that the election was compromised and that rigging took place with the involvement of the Electoral Commission.
Mr Owusu pointed out that when the New Patriotic Party moved the case to the Supreme Court, it did not challenge the substance of the High Court findings.
He stated that the appeal was based purely on a point of law, arguing that the National Democratic Congress was time barred when it went to court, and not that the alleged rigging did not occur.
In his view, this means that Mr Nyindam remains in Parliament through an election process that did not reflect the true will of the people of Kpandai.
Mr Owusu noted that this was why he had expected a rerun of the election, to allow the MP to return to the constituency and properly establish his authority through the ballot.
He explained that a rerun would have given Mr Nyindam the opportunity to prove that he genuinely won the 2024 parliamentary election.
With the rerun now quashed, Mr Owusu questioned how the MP could celebrate or take pride in the court outcome.
He stressed that he would no longer take contributions made by Mr Nyindam in Parliament seriously, as the legitimacy of his mandate remains questionable in his view.
Mr Owusu further argued that the Supreme Court decision has shortchanged the people of Kpandai.
He described the ruling as unfair to voters who woke up early on election day, queued patiently, and voted for a candidate of their choice, only for their will to be undermined.
According to him, the outcome raises serious concerns about justice, electoral credibility, and respect for the democratic rights of the people.
By: Jacob Aggrey
