Some Chinese nationals in the Wassa Akropong district of the Western Region have described as worrying claims that they are heavily involved in illegal mining.
According to them, their role is only to provide technical support to local miners.
Anthony Chi Wangi, one of the men who has lived in Ghana for 10 years told Accra-based Adom FM: “Chinese don’t do galamsey.”
“You cannot blame us for illegal mining. The Ghanaian people want to do small scale mining, but they do not have the money, so they come to us for technical support.
“So we come together and partner them and provide them with machines,” Anthony said.
READ ALSO: Illegal miners who have withdrawn from sites will not return - Amewu assures
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources Ministry subsequently gave a three-week ultimatum to all illegal miners to stop their activities or be prepared to face the full rigours of the law.
The ultimatum expired on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.
The Lands Minister, John Peter Amewu and his deputy, Benito Owusu-Bio, as well as officials of the Minerals Commission in the Eastern Region toured several galamsey sites including Kubereso, Atiwa, Pinaman, West Anyinam, and Kyebi.
He assured that all the illegal small scale miners who left the mining sites following the anti-galamsey campaign will not be allowed to return.
A number of excavator operators have reportedly withdrawn their equipment from the illegal mining sites as the ultimatum given by the government to clamp down on illegal mining expired on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has said Ghana has no problem with Beijing but said his administration will not renege on enforcing the mining laws to clamp down on illegal Chinese miners.