I am Not Involved In Galamsey Activity At Asawinso-Assembly Man Rubbishes Allegation
He said the national security personnel of the Western North Region on Monday September 4, 2023 went to site of where the illegal miners are working as well as where the excavator was packed.
Freeman Koryekpor 
ASSEMBLY MEMBER of Asawiso Electoral Area in the Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai Municipal Assembly in the Western North Region, Honourable Frank Nelson Ackah, has flatly denied allegations that he is involved in illegal small-scale mining, also known as galamsey despite the government’s blanket ban on all forms of small-scale mining.
"Although l have legally acquired mining concession with the genuine and lawful license from the Mineral Commission of Ghana, l have not started mining in my concession. My legally acquired mining concession is even far from the site these illegal miners are currently working," Mr. Ackah stressed.
The Assembly member noted that he would be the last person to engage in any illegality in the area, saying that "l am a law abiding citizen."
According to him, the queen-mother of Bokaaso and some top personalities of the Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai Municipal Assembly who made these unsubstantial allegations have been misled by rumors being published by New Crusading Guide that he [Assembly Member of Asawiso Electoral Area] was involved in the illegal activity at the illegal site at Asawiso.
The young hardworking assembly man stated that was very disappointed in these individuals who had wrongly accused him of being the owner of the illegal mining site at Asawiso although they have not done thorough check up to know who owned that particular illegal mining site before making such misleading publication to tarnish his hard won reputation.
He said the national security personnel of the Western North Region on Monday September 4, 2023 went to site of where the illegal miners are working as well as where the excavator was packed.
The Assembly man was quick to deny the allegations leveled against him to the effect that the excavator found packed on the showdown of the road is belonged to him.
He confirmed that the excavator packed at the area belonged to his friend, Mr. Kudwo Collins, saying that he didn't have financial capacity to buy such excavator which is very expensive.
"I am not aware of any illegal mining activity in the said area, although l have my own mining concession in Asawiso, l can state on authority that nobody is working there.
"...there are lots of people having mining concessions around but the one which belongs to me, nobody is working on it. Is even far away at the site of where the current mining activities are ongoings," the Assembly man explained.
When asked that the information from the Assembly indicates that he is the owner of that concession for where there is ongoing illegal mining activity in Asawiso, Honourable Ackah responded that it is a complete lies and misinformation.
He further stressed that: "This is lies because the national security personnel and Assembly security taskforce came there [referring to site)].
"I have even went to the place myself to see first hand information about the situation...the national security personnel came to see the particular site of where the illegal miners are working. And they came to remove the control board of the excavator with the explanation that they were sent from the Western North Region to come to take that action," the Assembly man noted.
He stated that the claims that the machine packed there was guarded by the national security personnel is completely lies and cooked story.
"I am saying that for the best of my knowledge nobody is guarding the excavator which was packed at the showdown of the road in the area," the Assembly member stressed.
He also stated that the claim that the national security deployed to the site didn't know the owner of the excavator was also not true.
According to him, the owner of the excavator, Mr Kudwo Collins was there at the time that the national security personnel visited the site to take the action to remove the control board from the excavator and took it away.
He noted that initially he is the main target of the national security, traditional ruler and the Assembly officials because "they thaught that the excavator belonged.
"I don't own any excavator, l don't have money to buy excavator," Honourable Ackah reaffirmed.
"So the story which was published by the newspaper and reviewed widely on the UTV including other TV and radio stations accusing me of engaging in illegal mining activities should be completely disregarded by the public because l haven't involved in any illegality as far as mining activities are concerned in the area.
'I am not the owner of the excavator as well as the owner of the illegal mining site in the area being published in the news item which went viral on social and local media platforms. The owner of the excavator and the mining site have been identified by the national security personnel who carried the exercise on Monday September 4, 2023 on the site," Mr Ackah further emphased.
He mentioned that the national security personnel came to meet the excavator packed at the showdown of the road when the Load bed truck was about to carry the excavator to the owner designation.
According to him,the miners who are operating in the site sometimes hired the excavator from Kudwo Collins to work on their site in the area.
"So finally l want state categorically that the story which came on Monday September 4,2023 accusing me of involving in illegal mining activity is not true. I want to use this opportunity to to tell the public that l am not part of any illegal mining activity ongoing in the area. I don't work as an illegal miner. This is calculated attempt to tarnish my image," Honourable Ackah stressed.
