Bronzy One
THE GRAPHIC Communications Group Limited (GCGL), a member of the Media Coalition supporting the fight against illegal mining, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to arrest a self-acclaimed illegal miner who goes by the nickname Bronzy One.
Bronzy One was said to have publicly dared President Akufo-Addo to rethink his commitment to fight illegal mining (popularly known as galamsey) and further dared the government to arrest him over the matter.
“We are by this extract petitioning the IGP to arrest the self-acclaimed illegal mining operator who goes by the nickname Bronzy One and who recently publicly dared the President to rethink his commitment to fight illegal mining and further dared this government to come after him,” charged GCGL.
“The said Bronzy One,” the petitioners noted, “in a public video shared on social media, and in response to the recent announcement by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources giving illegal miners an ultimatum to stop their nefarious activities or be prepared to face the full rigors of the law, dared the President and his government to rethink their position on the clamp down.
“The video on social media contained the following: the man in the video introduced himself as Bronzy One (Bronzy Baako P?) and residing near American House at East Legon, Accra.
“He stated that the video was shot from a mining site; he claimed he owned the pit which had dozens of illegal miners operating in it at the time he shot the video.”
According to the petition signed by GCGL’s Managing Director, Kenneth Ashigbey, “The said Bronzy One is a menace to society and failure to arrest him would send negative signals to the public, especially those engaged in illegal mining, on the government’s resolve to clamp down on illegal mining activity and its devastating effects on the environment and the livelihoods of rural dwellers especially and Ghanaians in general.”
BY Melvin Tarlue