A former Deputy Regional Minister, Joseph Yamin has disputed claims by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah that he authorised the deployment of military protection for an illegal mining site in the region.
He has therefore challenged anyone with any contrary evidence or communique to that effect to bring it out.
Speaking to Kwame Tutu on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm, he said he does not remember authorising such an action when he was chair of the anti-galamsey committee which constituted the regional Security Council.
Some soldiers were deployed to the area about three years ago after the Geo Professional Services Company, complained about attacks from illegal miners at Tontokrom, in the Amansie West District.
The Regional Minister after a briefing is said to have stated that the former Deputy Regional Minister gave that order.
But responding to the claims, Mr. Yamin said, under no circumstance could he have authorised such a request because when it comes to the military, they don’t take their orders from the region but Accra.
He explained, large scale mining doesn’t fall under galamsey and by law, foreign nationals are mandated to request for security protection.
He said, by law foreign nationals in large scale concession are permitted to make such requests and it is the duty of the state to provide security for them.
According to him, Simon Osei-Mensah have a lot to learn.
‘’Simon Osei-Mensah have a lot to learn because when it comes to the military, they don’t take their orders from the region, they take their orders from Accra. And even if we want to use them in the region which they are part of, they communicate it to Accra.
If it is a directive from Accra, they don’t need any authorisation from any minister in the region to carry out their function. The committee was against galamsey and not mining. If the briefing by Minister was anything to go by, then it means the miners were mining on a large scale concession.’’
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