The Ashanti Regional Branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has expressed deep concern over the news of an accident involving some journalists who were covering an official assignment on illegal mining activities in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).
In a statement signed by the Ashanti Regional Chairman of GJA, Kofi Adu Domfeh, the Association said “we stand in full solidarity with our affected colleagues in this difficult moment. Our thoughts and prayers are with them, their families, and their media organizations.”
“The safety, welfare, and protection of journalists remain paramount to the GJA, and this unfortunate incident underscores the inherent risks associated with the critical work our members undertake in pursuit of public interest, especially on issues related to galamsey,” the statement added.
He assure all affected journalists of its unwavering support. “We are actively engaging relevant authorities and partners to ensure they receive the necessary medical attention and emotional support.”
As journalists continue to play their watchdog role in bringing national attention to environmental and social challenges, it is imperative that their safety is given topmost priority.
“We call on all institutions that engage the media in field operations, particularly in high-risk areas, to adhere strictly to safety protocols and ensure proper coordination and preparedness at all times,” GJA said.
The GJA remains resolute in supporting our colleagues through these trying times.
A bus carrying journalists and staff of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) collided with a truck that was carrying pipes used for illegal mining (Galamsey), Chief Executive Officer of the EPA, Professor Nana Ama Klutse, has said.
Professor Nana Ama Klutse said the victims suffered various forms of injury, including broken thighs, head injury and chest pains.
She said on the Ghana Tonight show on Thursday, November 6, that “As the operation we started yesterday (Wednesday, November 5), it’s a three-week plan that the EPA has, to ensure, especially the services that others provide for mining in our water bodies, which is illegal. We plan to tackle that aspect as well. So we realised that it is not just enough to say, stop mining in the river bodies, but we saw that we needed to deal with the suppliers.
“So we closed down many shops at the Anhwia Nkwanta, so today (Thursday, November 6) we were on another route to close down some other shops. On our way near Obuasi, we saw galamsey happening on the ground, so we decided to have a look at what they were doing. When we stopped and walked into the area, as we were getting closer, they were running away, and all of them had left by the time we got there.
“So we looked around for what we could pick, and we did pick. While leaving, we saw that there were actually more of the excavators, three, that were inside a river body; they had mined in the river and blocked the river in such a way that it had taken different tributaries around the area and flooded some places. It is messy. It was really a bad situation. So we had actually gone to the car and used another route to the place, and while we were there, the people also ran. We called them to come, and just before we could have a conversation, they sent news around, and so we saw built men; a number of them came with guns.
“We had the military with us, and the national security also were with us, but then we saw that we couldn’t exchange fire or we could not fight them, so we had to run for our lives. So in the course of running, speeding on the road, we encountered this accident.”
The incident occurred at Afari, following a violent encounter with illegal miners near Obuasi.
Reports indicate that the convoy of the EPA team was initially attacked by a group of illegal miners at Dadwene, a community near Obuasi. The severity of the attack reportedly forced the EPA team and the accompanying media personnel to retreat.
The subsequent accident, which happened later at Afari, has left several people injured. Among the journalists involved was Ibrahim Abubakar, the Ashanti Regional Correspondent of Media General, but he is fine.
By Benjamin Aidoo
