We'll only be joking if no 'galamseyer' is imprisoned - Prof Kofi Agyekum tells SP

Head of Linguistics at the University of Ghana, Professor Kofi Agyekum, popularly called 'Opanyin Agyekum', has welcomed Special Prosecutor's investigation into some public officials over their alleged involvement in illegal mining (galamsey). The investigation targets some officials of the Lands Ministry, the Forestry Commission and the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM). In a press release issued on Monday, October 10, the Office of the Special Prosecutor said there is an ongoing enquiry into "allegations of use of public office for profit against Charles Bissue, during his tenure as secretary to the IMCIM" and this is based on an investigative documentary by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his Tiger Eye P.I. Responding to the SP's investigations, Opanyin Agyekum noted that it is not enough to investigate persons allegedly involved in galamsey but rather he looks forward to the end result of those investigations. He advised that it behoves the authorities to ensure offenders are duly punished in order to deter miners from engaging in illegalities. "If we do all this without punishing no one, we are just joking. We have done this for a long time but how many people have been imprisoned for engaging in galamsey?", he exclaimed while speaking on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo".

Head of Linguistics at the University of Ghana, Professor Kofi Agyekum, popularly called 'Opanyin Agyekum', has welcomed Special Prosecutor's investigation into some public officials over their alleged involvement in illegal mining (galamsey). The investigation targets some officials of the Lands Ministry, the Forestry Commission and the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM). In a press release issued on Monday, October 10, the Office of the Special Prosecutor said there is an ongoing enquiry into "allegations of use of public office for profit against Charles Bissue, during his tenure as secretary to the IMCIM" and this is based on an investigative documentary by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his Tiger Eye P.I. Responding to the SP's investigations, Opanyin Agyekum noted that it is not enough to investigate persons allegedly involved in galamsey but rather he looks forward to the end result of those investigations. He advised that it behoves the authorities to ensure offenders are duly punished in order to deter miners from engaging in illegalities. "If we do all this without punishing no one, we are just joking. We have done this for a long time but how many people have been imprisoned for engaging in galamsey?", he exclaimed while speaking on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo".