Asutifi North MP not involved in confrontation with NAIMOS taskforce – Hwidiem Zongo Chief
The Zongo Chief of Hwidiem in the Ahafo Region, Alhaji Mohammed Bashiru, has dismissed allegations linking the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Hon. Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, to a violent incident involving local youth and a national anti-illegal mining taskforce at the Hwidiem Police Station.
This follows a clash between officials of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and some youth at Hwidiem on Saturday, November 1, after a taskforce raided and arrested some individuals at a site in the Ahafo Region.
During an appearance on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem on Monday, November 3, Alhaji Bashiru strongly rejected claims that the MP had incited or financed the mob that confronted the NAIMOS team, which was led by the Director of Operations, Colonel Dominic Buah.
“If I am given the Holy Qur’an to swear, I will say nothing but the truth,” he said. “The MP, Ebenezer Addo, was on his way to a funeral and only stopped when he came across the chaos. He did not call any thugs to attack the taskforce; he won’t do that, and I don’t know him to be that kind of person.”
The Zongo Chief explained that by the time Addo arrived at the scene, tensions had already escalated, adding that the MP’s intention was to help de-escalate the situation and ensure the safety of the soldiers who found themselves surrounded by agitated locals.
“I am not aware he gave the soldiers any money, what I witnessed was an effort to protect lives and restore order, not to cause confusion,” he added, and clarified that the unrest arose from a misunderstanding related to activities at the alleged illegal mining site.
“The youth were not doing galamsey,” he stated. “They were engaging in ‘Sankofa,’ which is when young people return to abandoned mining sites to wash leftover soil in hopes of finding some gold. They may have felt intimidated, and that misunderstanding caused the disturbances.”
He emphasized that although the youth’s actions resulted in chaos, there was no organized attack initiated by any political figure or authority.
In a further account of the incident, Alhaji Bashiru revealed that his personal vehicle, which was used to transport members of the NAMOS taskforce to safety during the violence, later encountered an accident.
“My car, a Toyota Sequoia 4×4, crashed into a tricycle after the incident, and it is currently in police custody,” he said.
Security has since been reinforced in the area as Police investigations into the disturbance and property damage continue.
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