The Koforidua Circuit Court 2 has remanded 15 Chinese and a Ghanaian for allegedly engaging in illegal mining activities at Akyem Amenase in the Eastern Region.
The Ghanaian is Abdul Mumin Adams, 42, while the Chinese are Wang Fu Qing, 39, Ye Bi Hua, 44, Zheng Zhou Yi, 64, Ye You Ming, 55, Luo Jian Bo, 59, Tian Yu Bing, 46, Fan Shu Hui, 47 and Du Cheng Quan, 54.
The rest are Yuan Jian Dong, 33, Wu Ke Hu, 57, Zhu Ling Ceng, 49, Chen Yi, 38, Shi Gao Hui, 43, Tan Tao Zhong, 53 and Lin Li Zhong, 60.
Adams admitted masterminding their coming through one Zhou, to the site belonging to Mr George Wussah, the complainant.
The Chinese also admitted travelling to Ghana on tourists’ visas and had no permits to work in the country.
The above scenario is a classic attestation of the fact that it is Ghanaians who have led the influx of foreigners, particularly Chinese citizens, into Ghana’s forest and hinterlands to destroy the environment.
Without the active collaboration of some Ghanaians who treasure money even above life itself, it would have been impossible for our forests and rivers to be destroyed to the level we have witnessed.
It is our opinion that whilst generally combating illegal mining, special attempts should be made to identify the elements who sponsor this influx, because finding them, and jailing them, would go a long way to stem the destruction we are seeing.
Secondly, we believe that the fight against illegal mining would go a long way if we can slap long custodial sentences on these foreigners in our prisons before we deport them.
That would send the message that we would no longer tolerate this kind of behaviour.
(Editorial of the Daily Searchlight of 2nd June, 2025).
