By: Akua Oteng Amponsah
The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has issued a strong condemnation of the violent attack on the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), allegedly orchestrated by Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North.
According to police reports, the confrontation occurred after a NAIMOS team arrested a group of illegal miners during an operation. As the team prepared to hand the suspects over to the Hwidiem Police Station, the MP is said to have arrived with a group of people demanding their release.
When the request was refused, the mob allegedly chased the NAIMOS operatives away. Later, around 600 people, reportedly mobilised by the MP, stormed the police station, calling for the release of the arrested miners.
In a statement signed by UTAG’s National President, Prof. Vera O. Fiador, and National Secretary, Dr. Samuel Kingsford Seglah, on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, the Association described the incident as “an affront to the rule of law and a direct assault on Ghana’s collective struggle against the destructive galamsey menace.”
UTAG said it was “deeply troubling” that such behaviour could come from a public official who is expected to protect the law and serve the nation’s interest.
The group argued that the episode illustrates the “entrenched political interference, impunity, and elite complicity” that have continually sabotaged the national campaign against illegal mining.
UTAG deacribe the galamsey situation as “Illegal mining has caused irreversible damage to Ghana’s water bodies, degraded vast tracts of arable land, and threatened public health and food security. As academics, researchers, and citizens committed to sustainable national development, we cannot remain silent in the face of this existential threat.”
The Association called for a transparent and independent investigation into both the attack and the release of the suspects, insisting that “justice must be served without fear or favour.”
UTAG further appealed to Parliament and political parties to openly denounce actions that fuel environmental lawlessness, urging them to set a positive example through responsible leadership.
Reaffirming its commitment to combating illegal mining, UTAG referenced its national campaign that engages more than 7,000 university lecturers and researchers in promoting legal, scientific, and civic initiatives aimed at restoring the environment and strengthening good governance.
The Association also encouraged citizens, civil society groups, and traditional leaders to support state institutions in safeguarding Ghana’s remaining natural resources and ensuring accountability.
Emphasizing the broader moral duty in the fight against galamsey, UTAG declared: “The fight against illegal mining is not a partisan contest but a moral and generational duty.” It stressed that “the survival of Ghana’s rivers, forests, and communities is inseparable from the survival of the nation itself.”
UTAG further urged all forms of leadership political, traditional, and institutional to “rise above partisan interests and act decisively in defence of the environment, justice, and national dignity.”
