The National Security Coordinator, for Asanti region Captain (Rtd.) John Kwame Jabari, has issued a direct challenge to JoyNews reporter Erastus Asare Donkor to publish the findings of the National Security investigation he referenced in his report on the Akatakyieso mining site raid in the Adansi North District.
Speaking during an interview on the AbusuaFM morning show in Kumasi, Captain Jabari expressed surprise at the narrative that emerged following the raid, particularly the claim that National Security had taken over a licensed mining site.
He revealed that after the incident , Donkor contacted him for clarification, but chose to omit his explanations and only included parts that suited his story.
Captain Jabari said, “The next day, I saw the conversation had turned to National Security taking over a galamsey site. The person who published it called me, and I explained everything. However, he did not include my explanation in his post but instead published the part he found interesting, which suggested it was a legally licensed mining site.”
On May 5, Erastus Asare Donkor posted on Facebook questioning the actions of National Security at Akatakyieso, stating: “Why would the National security take over a licensed organised underground small scale mining, drive away the workers and ask people with pump action guns to mine the facility? Ashanti Regional Security Liason, Capt. Rtd Mohammed Gyabari, tells me he was asked by his bosses in Accra to secure the mine. His boss in-charge of operations says he has given no such order.
What’s going on? National security drove out the owner and workers of the mine at Akatakyieso, in the Adansi North district, put men armed with pump action guns. They have illegally started the private equipment and have been operating the licensed private underground mine for four days now. Who are they mining for? This is the mine which won the admiration of a government committee on mining recently for their organised mining.”
Responding to these claims, Captain Jabari emphasized that any accusations against National Security personnel are thoroughly investigated.
“I told him on record that any accusation made against National Security is investigated. That is why the person who posted it said National Security was investigating the issue,” he said.
He challenged Donkor to disclose the outcome of the investigation, asking, “What was the result? Was someone implicated? Was I found culpable? Did National Security from Accra fail in their duties? The investigation has ended, so the public deserves to know the findings.”
When asked if he believed some reports about operations under his supervision were aimed at negative publicity, Captain Jabari said, “No. Some reports stem from personal interests and naivety.
“Any accusation against National Security personnel is investigated by a team from Accra. The complainant and all involved are interviewed, and findings determine who is culpable,” he stressed.
Regarding the Akatakyieso site, he stated emphatically, “He(Erastus Asare Donkor) said ‘how can you take over a legally licensed galamsey site?’. The owner does not have any official papers. I can confirm on authority that no one is mining there now because they lack the requisite mining license.
“If he claims it is a licensed concession, I challenge him to publish that license,” he stated emphatically.
When the host inquired, “Are you suggesting the report Erastus did was problematic?”
Captain Jabari firmly stated “There was a big problem with it. Most of the time, if you haven’t been there yourself and someone gives you a report or feedback, it is different from actually being there. At the Akatakyieso site, the first time I went there was after he published that story. If you go there, there is one site occupied by Chinese people doing rock mining, and behind that site, there is another mining site operated purely by Ghanaians. He claimed those people had licenses, but they did not. The operation at that site was not authorized by me; it was a team from Accra that raided the site. I was only given a caretaker role after the team’s work.”
He added, “So, if you say I have taken over the galamsey site, then you are being purely intellectually mischievous because I had no hand in that operation. It has been found that the people have no license to operate, and currently, the place is still closed. So, the person who hired him to do that publication misinformed him.”
In reply to the host’s query ‘if Erastus also went to the ground,’
Captain questioned, “So, which ground did he go to.”
Capt. Jabari explained that a stakeholder engagement meeting was held in Accra involving the previous operators, community members, and interested parties. The meeting concluded that the operators lacked the necessary licenses, and until these are obtained, the site must remain closed.
“I am tasked with ensuring no mining occurs there until the proper documents are secured,” he said.
Captain Jabari also addressed claims of harassment, stating, “if I send a National Security operation to verify whether the agreement reached in Accra is still in force, somebody says I am harassing the miners. But the guy was there when the agreement was made at National Security that everybody should leave the site.
“Then someone pushes it because he has money and someone with influence publishes it so everybody sees it. But that’s not how journalism should be done.”
He suggested that Erastus Asare Donkor may have been misinformed by the person who hired him for the publication.
Capt. Jabari emphasized “The person who hired you was there when the agreement was reached at National Security that nobody should go to the site until the relevant documents are obtained. So, when National Security goes there to ensure that the agreement is enforced, you should be able to say that I was there when the agreement was made that nobody should be there. Therefore, National Security went there to enforce what was agreed.”
Source : www.kumasimail.com /Kwadwo Owusu
