Communications Officer at the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Harrison Kojo Abbah, has praised President John Dramani Mahama and the NDC government for allowing the law to take its course in the ongoing trial of Chairman Wontumi.
He described the prosecution of the New Patriotic Party’s Ashanti Regional Chairman as a landmark moment in the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Speaking on Onua FM’s Yen Nsempa Morning Show on October 9, Mr. Abbah said the prosecution of a high-profile figure like Chairman Wontumi demonstrates the government’s commitment to ensuring that no one is above the law.
“The fact that Chairman Wontumi is standing trial alone deserves commendation for the President and the NDC government.
To arrest a galamsey kingpin and bring him before the law, this is the first of its kind; it has never happened before,” he said.
Mr. Abbah, who is also a member of the NDC National Communications Team, noted that in the past, only small-scale miners and labourers were arrested and prosecuted while the real financiers and masterminds went unpunished.
“Normally, it’s the small boys who are arrested, and after a while, they’re released to go back into the bush to continue galamsey. The big men usually bail them out so the illegal mining continues,” he explained.
He emphasized that the trial of Chairman Wontumi, someone who once boasted openly about his mining activities and influence sends a strong message that wealth and status can no longer shield offenders from justice.
“Today, the same man who used to sit on radio and boast proudly, using his money to mobilize young men for galamsey, is now being held accountable by the law. This proves that no one can escape justice. When your time comes, you’ll face the consequences of your actions, no amount of money can save you,” Mr. Abbah added.
He further stated that many people only question the existence of the law when it hasn’t yet caught up with them.
“When the law hasn’t reached you, you think you’re free and say the law doesn’t work. But when it catches up with you, you’ll realize that the law works and it truly exists. Go and ask Chairman Wontumi, he will tell you that the law works,” he said.
