Graphic Boss reveals real ‘galamsey King’ in Ghana

Embattled Chinese galamsey queen, Aisha Huang may not be the real kingpin of illegal mining activities in Ghana after all if what the Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Kenneth Ashigbey said is anything to go by.

“I know of one man who has got over 1,000 excavators. He owns a Chinese restaurant in Accra but we are giving them notice. All of those persons who have brought those things, we are going to make legal cases against them”, he warned.

The unnamed kingpin, who is not a Ghanaian he revealed, is a financier and direct beneficiary of illegal mining activities in the country which has led to the pollution of several water bodies.

Speaking at a public forum dubbed “#UnitedAgainstGalamsey” organized by The Press Foundation, TPF Mr Kenneth Ashigbey warned that the survival of the Ghana is under threat if Ghanaians allow illegal mining activities to flourish.

“The existence of the country is under threat following galamsey. We cannot demand reparation from any one because they will tell us our elders were involved. They will indicate to us that we were part of the people who led foreigners to poison ourselves because more chemicals are lately injected into purifying water for domestic consumption”, he revealed.

According to him, the fight against illegal mining is about survival of Ghanaians as a people.

“We must fight to sustain our country …..Galamsey is getting into absurd limits. Processing water these days require a lot of Chemicals just because of galamsey. People mine close to high-tension pylons carrying electricity to other parts of the country. Increased crime like, prostitution, drugs, armed robbery among others has come as a result of this illegal mining”, he bemoaned.

While observing that it is not an attempt by government to do away with small scale mining, he said it was aimed at checking the activities of illegal miners that has ended up affecting those engaging illegitimate mining business urging them to restrain themselves while government works towards streamlining things.