The Member of Parliament for the Assin Central Constituency, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, has revealed the ban on small-scale mining will be lifted next week.
Speaking on Adom TV’s Badwam show Tuesday, he the MP said the government will lift the ban next week but declined to give a specific date.
“The ban on galamsey did not help in any way and so it has to be lifted. I can’t disclose the specific date but I am certain it will be lifted next week,” he said.
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The maverick MP, however, accused members of the Operation Vanguard (OV) team as being corrupt, a reason he says affected the enforcement of the ban.
“The Military has not displayed their high level of discipline towards their fight against the galamsey menace in the country. I was accused of disgracing the military but the Operation Vanguard team has greatly disgraced the force,” he alleged.
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According to him, some members of the task force have been in bed with illegal miners.
The government banned small-scale mining activities in 2017 as part of efforts to sanitise the industry.
A combined police-military team, Operation Vanguard (OV) was put in place to enforce the ban.
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But reports of members of the team engaging in illegalities is rife.
Three members of the task force were arrested in November this year for their alleged involvement in bribery and extortion.