Following reports that some military men from the Headquarters of the Central Command of the Ghana Army are protecting illegal mining operation of some Chinese nationals, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major General Thomas Oppong-Peprah, according to information available to The Chronicle, has held an emergency durbar with personnel.
The durbar was to address media reports that suggested that some soldiers deployed to Tontokrom in the Amansie South District in the Ashanti region were protecting illegal miners.
A subsequent anonymous whatsApp message purportedly linked the Chief of Army Staff and General Officer Commanding (GOC) Central Command of the Ghana Army, Brigadier General Joseph Aduko Aphour as shareholders in the said galamsey activities.
At the meeting, Major Gen. Oppong-Peprah described the development at the Central Command as worrying and as a result ordered that a background to the operation at Tontokrom be read out to the soldiers to prove his innocence of the allegation.
It came to light at the durbar that was conveyed, on Thursday, January 21, 2021 that Amansie West District requested the Army to deploy personnel at Tontokrom in 2019, due to an influx of foreigners, increasing spate of armed robbery and militia activities within the area, as a result of the activities of Benvito Mining Company.
The authorised document dated May 13, 2019 further revealed that upon careful consideration by the High Command, directed Operation Calm Life to extend its coverage to the Amansie area to ward off the stated concerns by the district.
The COAS added that he was the Chief of Staff at the time of the request, however, opposed to deploying standing troops at Tontokrom, but the Central Command was subsequently tasked to deploy as Operation Calm Life to maintain law and order.
He reinforced the position that Army HQ continues to receive sitrep on Tontokrom as Operation Calm Life.
In this regard, Major General Oppong-Peprah stated that he was privy to the deployment at Tontokrom, but denied suggestion that he had a stake in the said mining company operating in the area.
He expressed his disquiet over the publication and indicated his readiness to submit to any investigation to ascertain the facts.
Tracking alleged soldiers extorting monies from illegal miners
Major Gen Oppong-Peprah further expressed worry over some persons purporting to be personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces dressed in ‘desert camouflage’ and armed, operating between Western Region and Ashanti Region, visiting mining sites and extorting monies from illegal miners.
He, therefore, tasked Central Command about a week ago to track their activities and get them arrested.
According to COAS, some civilians were arrested by personnel of Central Command in similar dress code wielding arms and claimed to be officials of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Taskforce, adding “we have taken it up with the EPA to address the concern.”
During question and answer time, one of the personnel asked that the deployment in Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), specifically the duty at Kejetia, was sanctioned by a higher Command.
The COAS invited Director Army Operations (DAO) to answer but indicated that it was not among the approved Army operations.
Nevertheless, the COAS quickly added that some of the operations are sanctioned by the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC), however, the action unit would nonetheless have to seek the approval of higher Command before undertaking such operations.
Major Gen Oppong-Peprah urged troops to desist from such acts of character assassination and endeavour to contribute their quota to expand the frontiers of the Army to address the promotional gaps, as well as to improve the livelihood of personnel.
General Officer Commanding (GOC) Central Command, Brigadier General Joseph Aduko Aphour on his part, also denied personal involvement or assigning personnel to guide illegal activities in the Apapam Forest Reserve.
“On Saturday, January 16, 2021 information received by the Command indicated that the purported soldiers had moved to Odahu, a village located in Apapam Forest Reserve, which the OP CALM LIFE detachment at Tontokrom was tasked to arrest the said soldiers,” he stated
He emphasised that a three-man under cover patrol team was dispatched to track the said syndicate and to aid in their arrest, as part of the operation arrangement of Operation CALM LIFE, which is a joint security taskforce detachment at Tontokrom.
The post Chief Of Army Staff ‘Goes To War’ appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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