Solomon Kusi Brako
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Birim Central Municipality is yet to convincingly explain his unilateral imposition of fines on so-called illegal miners who are operating without permits.
Solomon Kusi Brako is being asked to refund GH¢15,000 he directed to be collected from licensed miners within his jurisdiction who, according to him, do not possess permits to do their business.
The distraught miners, finding the imposition anomalous, have opened up the matter for public scrutiny. The MCE is said to have quickly organised receipts to back his anomalous financial adventure.
He has described the story as a propaganda to tarnish his name, in a reaction to the matter which has hit the public space.
“The allegation that I took GH¢15,000 from illegal miners is untrue. It was an official fine imposed on licensed miners without permits backed by receipts. This is pure propaganda to tarnish my name,” the Birim MCE said.
His reaction prompts further questions about the imposition of the fine. It would be instructive to know how the fine was arrived at and whether or not the MCE has the authority to slap fines on persons who are licensed to undertake mining given that mining is such a controversial national issue. It would also be worthwhile to know whether indeed the said licensed miners are what they are being presented to be.
We are tempted to recall the allegation of so-called government agents who, in the name of fighting illegal mining activities, have resorted to demanding monies from both legal and illegal miners in the gold-bearing areas.
Under such a shadowy arrangement in which it is difficult or even impossible to differentiate between those authorised to mine and those not, the coast is clear for bad agents and they outnumber the good ones to do their own thing.
The National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joseph Yamin, opened the lid on the illegal activities of state agents when he demanded the dissolution of an enforcement team made up of police officers; they were imposing unauthorised fees on both licensed and illegal miners and pocketing same.
If an MCE can organise receipts following the demand for refunds by persons fleeced of their monies because they did not display permits, it shows just how corruption has become endemic in our national life, especially in the hands of appointees.
There is no doubt that periodic auditing of the manuals of state agencies is undertaken, but following the seeming shadowy fines for mining without permits and given the controversial issue of mining in the country, a more critical look at the subject is strongly suggested.
Some appointees have become so arrogant and powerful that they act outside their remits; the responses of some of them smacking of insults.
One such appointee, when confronted with the issue of bad roads in Adenta in Accra, asked that the rich in the suburb should address the challenge, adding that “Ghanaians complain too much.”
Another appointee, an MCE, when questioned about what he does with the Common Fund allocated to him said, “I eat tuo zaafi with it.”