'I made enemies because I deported 14 chinese galamsey operators'- Yammin

Former Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister has finally opened up on some of the reasons why some people demanded his removal as Deputy Minister in the region.

According to Joseph Yammin, he least tolerated illegal mining operations by Chinese expatriates and had to take hard hitting decisions against them.

Yammin explains, as part of the decisions he took was to ensure the swift deportation of identified Chinese illegal miners to their home country.

He was speaking in response to what he calls “over glorification of foreigners by Ghanaians” which has made the foreigners, especially whites, feel too powerful in foreign, especially African countries on the Ultimate Breakfast Show hosted by Lantam Papanko.

Joseph Yammin’s response comes in the wake of an assault case against a Lebanese for allegedly causing bodily injuries to a Ghanaian girl working in the Kitchen of Mawarko restaurant, an eatery in the Greater Accra region.

An Accra magistrate court yesterday remanded to police custody, the Lebanese supervisor at the center of the Marwako assault case.

Jihad Chaaban who appeared in court Wednesday pleaded not guilty to three charges of assault, causing harm and offensive conduct.

The magistrate, Victoria Ghansah, however ordered that he is kept in police cells following the prosecutor’s plea that they could guarantee the security of the accused.

According to the prosecution, Jihad since the self-recognisance bail by the police has been interfering with their investigations.

They claim he [Jihad] and the management of Marwako have threatened their workers with dismissal should they assist the police with investigations.

Jihad Chaaban allegedly dipped the face of a kitchen staffer, Evelyn Boakye at the Abelemkpe branch of the eatery into pepper paste.

But Joseph Yammin believes it is Ghanaians who make these foreigners powerful in Ghana.

“I don’t understand why we keep making them feel too important and powerful when these white people come here to hustle,” he wondered.

“I made sure a lot of Chinese galamsey guys were sent to Accra, checked into their flight and deported to their country for engaging in illegal mining and destroying water bodies,” he said.

“Can you imagine that for this action, a lot of people thought I was becoming too powerful and demanded my dismissal because they see the Chinese as superior human beings,” he added.

“So I am sure this Lebanese supervisor did what he did because the Ghanaian workers regarded him as a superior human being,” he added.