‘I'm Very Powerful, You Can't Arrest Me": NDC Obuasi West Vice Chair Reacts to Galamsey Accusations
- Alhaji Jibril Zamba, First Vice Chairman of the NDC in Obuasi West, has pushed back against accusations linking him to illegal mining in the Ashanti Region
- Zamba claimed the land in dispute was officially released to local residents following negotiations with the Minerals Commission and government officials
- The NDC official also revealed details of a previous military arrest at the site, alleging he was released by a presidential staffer without making a statement
Alhaji Jibril Zamba, the First Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Obuasi West, has publicly denied accusations that he orchestrated an illegal takeover of a licensed mining concession in the Adansi enclave of the Ashanti Region.
Zamba was responding to claims that he led an unlawful occupation of more than 200 acres of a licensed concession.
Source: UGC
In a report by GhanaWeb, he rejected those characterisations outright, arguing that the land had been formally made available to community members through negotiations involving the Minerals Commission and government officials.
Zamba defends land allocation
According to the NDC official, the concession in question had no singular private owner, and roughly 60 per cent of the land was redistributed to local residents following historical community protests.
He said he possessed documentation to substantiate his position.
"That concession does not belong to anyone. I have the documents available with me," he said.
With the matter now before the courts, Zamba stopped short of providing further details, but struck a defiant tone regarding any prospect of arrest.
"The issue is in court, so I don't want to go deeper into it, but you can't arrest me. You can't arrest Zamba because I am well protected. You can't arrest me," he stated.
NDC vice chairman recounts military arrest
The NDC vice chairman also offered an account of a prior military operation at the mining site in which he was detained.
He claimed his decision to surrender was driven by a desire to protect workers at the site, having invested GH¢17 billion in the area.
Zamba said he was subsequently taken to Accra, where he was released the same day by a presidential staffer, and that he never made a formal statement before being permitted to resume operations at the site.
The accusations against Zamba come amid Ghana's broader crackdown on illegal mining, also known as galamsey, which has remained one of the country's most persistent environmental and governance challenges, particularly in mining-heavy regions such as Ashanti.
NDC organiser speaks out on galamsey allegations
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported earlier that the NDC's National Organiser, Joseph Yamin, called on EOCO to wrap up its galamsey investigation into him as quickly as possible.
The Attorney General directed EOCO to interrogate Yamin and NDC third Vice Chairman Yakubu Abanga over illegal mining allegations.
Yamin's comments came after his name appeared in Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng's report on illegal mining in Ghana.
Source: YEN.com.gh
