Ellembelle galamsey power play: Strong forces torment DCE

The quest to prevent illegal mining in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region, by the District Chief Executive (DCE), Kwasi Bonzoh, has seen him step on powerful toes; angry toes that kicked him into detention after his arrest and are united in a sticky-plot to get the President kick him out of office if he does not compromise on his zero-tolerance for illegal mining in Ellembelle, The New Publisher has gathered.

The much-publicized Rambo-style arrest and detention of the DCE and the narrative that enveloped the embarrassing political power play has left many questions unanswered and created doubts on whether as a country, the Government actually support public servants who are against galamsey or such individuals are left on their own and  who for the sake of job protection, may soon be cowed into docility and compelled to turn  a ‘closed eye’ on the unrestrained destruction of forest reserves and pollution of water bodies in the name of searching for gold through illegal means.

That the head of the District Security in Ellembelle would get arrested, handcuffed and detained by his subordinate who went ahead on a media campaign to run him down and accuse him of knowing the whereabouts of the missing excavators is unusual.

But that is not as strange as the fact that after both excavators were found, the Police Service has not bothered to set the records straight on who exactly had them, where both were found, how and when they were brought into the District,  brought by whom and for what, who are the unnamed owners and what has happened to the owners.

Good Cop Removed

The Ellembelle District Assembly, has worked together with the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) officer in the District, Francis Apeni on 17 successful operations to arrest or chase out persons including foreigners who attempted to undertake galamsey activities in the District.

Early September when the DCE was arrested while taking photos of an excavator that had been declared missing but was later found in the custody of the police being escorted out of the District,  this said NIB officer, Francis Apeni was also arrested for aiding the DCE.

This good cop, despite his commitment and resolve to prevent the illegal mining activities, has suddenly been transferred from Ellembelle.

This was the NIB Officer that worked to gather evidene that there were two excavators operating at an illegal mining site in the District. He was same officer who worked with the DCE and other stakeholders to report the crime to the police and were seeking a lowbed to transport the excavators to the Regional Police command at the time they were supposedly missing and the DCE blew an alarm over the drama.

Both Excavators Found

The Police issued an official statement that on 6th September, that its officers had discovered one of the missing excavators several kilometers into a forest within the Ellembelle District.

Though the police statement said it had found one excavator, photos attached to the statement actually showed two excavators with police presence. That curious picture that showed two excavators in the forest still begs an explanation.

The police said while it was recovering the found excavator, the DCE and some thugs tried to obstruct them therefore the DCE had been arrested.

Meanwhile, a video gone viral showed the DCE was not obstructing the movement of an excavator that was being transported on a lowbed when he was arrested together with the NIB Officer now transfered.

The  was taking a photo of the found excavator being transported by the police out of his District without his knowledge at a time the Police Commander there had told the media that the missing excavators were with him

The New Publisher has gathered that the second missing excavator has been found about three weeks ago but for unknown reasons, that good news has not been made public.

The District Police is silent on it. The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah is silent on it. The Police Headquarters from where the press statement about the arrest of the DCE is silent on it. It is only the media and that is not silent and asking questions from discerning Ghanaians.

The loudest silence has come from the Regional Minister who had earlier directed that the missing excavators be moved from Ellembelle to Sekondi for further actions to be taken on it. Suddenly, he has also strangely kept zipped lips over the second lost and found excavator.

Political Suicide

The District Chief Executive is the President’s direct representative in the Ellembelle District. Coincidentally, he was the New Patriotic Parliamentary Party (NPP) candidate for the Ellembelle Constituency but was beaten by a four percent vote margin by former Energy Minister for Energy and Petroleum, Emmanuel Armah Buah.

Government and the NPP for that matter, is yet to notice that the tag of ‘excavators theft’ or the allegations of ‘the use of thugs to obstruct police duty’ would forever remain on the testimonial and CV of the President’s representative and the party’s candidate.

That is not even as worrying as the fact that he is seen as an anti-galamsey activist that has turned into a victim and accused criminal.

But as typical, Government and the NPP would deem it as another individual who should be left to carry his own cross.

A cross that was calculatedly flunk on his neck… MORE SOON ON WHY THE OSP SHOULD TAKE AN INTEREST IN THIS.