The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) Central Command has launched a comprehensive investigation into the events that led to clashes between residents of Ntobroso in the Atwima Mponua District and anti-galamsey task force military officers.
The clashes occurred on Wednesday morning after houses of some of the residents were torched in an attempt by the military officers to burn some parked excavators.
According to the residents, the soldiers burnt the excavators right near houses, provoking the clashes.
But addressing journalists on Thursday, February 24, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) GAF’s Central Command, Brigadier-General Joseph Aphour, described the situation as unfortunate as the operation of the soldiers was successful.
He said the closed-by house was used by the illegal miners as fuel storage for the excavators.
Brigadier-General Aphour explained. Though the house was quite far from the burning excavators, the fuel spillage from the house onto the excavators also caught fire, causing the fire to travel to the house.
“Fortunately enough, no lives were lost.”
He noted that efforts by personnel of GAF to ensure that the fire did not spread to other houses were thwarted because the residents attacked them with stones and projectiles to the extent that even the fire tenders brought in from Nkawie were vandalised.
“I will like to assure you that investigations will be conducted immediately to ascertain the circumstances that led to this unfortunate incident.”
He impressed upon the media to be cautious in their reportage as the situation at hand and, by extension, galamsey is seeking to undermine the country’s security.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana
