The Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, is calling for the arrest of the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah.

He believes this is necessary because Mr Darko-Mensah was present when the parliamentary candidate for the Amenfi East Constituency, Ernest Frimpong, allegedly advised illegal miners to resist military officers who claim they were there to patrol the area and attempt to forcefully remove them.

According to Mr Gbande, the parliamentary candidate made these claims because the Western Regional Minister also made similar statements.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on June 12, he said it is only right that the Regional Minister is also arrested for making such claims

“Why is the Western Regional Minister not arrested? He should be arrested because they are planning to commit crime.

“In one meeting, one of them said attack soldiers, the other one said we have created an environment for you to do the wrong thing,” he told host, Evans Mensah.

• Read also: Desist from inciting public against soldiers – GAF warns

The Deputy General Secretary also alleged that officials of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) were at the helm of galamsey operations and that because the NPP wanted to capture political power, they had allowed many things to go unchecked.

“It is not the fact that NDC is against this miners who are in the community. That is not the case. The case is the same government has hijacked these mining sites. Allowed their ministers and high officials to do illegal mining only to allow the young men to go into the bush because of elections.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service has arrested the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for Amenfi East, Ernest Frimpong over recent comments.

Background

In a video that has gone viral on social media, the parliamentary candidate for Amenfi East Constituency in the Western Region, Ernest Frimpong is seen at a forum with individuals believed to be illegal miners, allegedly advising them to resist military officers who claim they are there to patrol the area and attempt to forcefully remove them.

He emphasised that no military personnel have been authorised to manage the sites at this time, so miners should fight back if necessary.

However, Mr Frimpong, in his defence, admitted to being the person in the video but refuted engaging with illegal miners, stating that he was speaking to miners in the community.

Meanwhile, Mr Frimpong has retracted his comment. He, however, expressed the view that his comment was taken out of context.