Ghana is Sad: Senior Minister Osarfo Marfo’s controversial Aisha Huang comments

Senior Minister Osarfo Marfo’s controversial Aisha Huang comments suggest that some foreigners who break our laws are untouchable and Aisha Huang known in Ghana as galamsey queen Aisha Huang is one of such persons.

According to the Senior Minister Osarfo Marfo, Ghana’s “good” relationship with China is one big reason why Ghana did not jail Aisha Huang. He further added that our infrastructures under construction are been developed  Sinohydro a Chines company and since this was going to help Ghana to process her bauxite, we can let go some of these offences.

“Putting that lady (Aisha) in jail in Ghana is not going to solve your economic problems.” He added. The lady instead of facing the full arm of the Ghanaian law was rather deported. Osarfo Marfo holds the view that jailing Queen Aisha Huang in Ghana will not be the solution to our economic problems.

Following the backlash from Ghanaians and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the office of the Senior Minister has come out to clarify the issues after spilling the beans. His statement has been seen as a big blow to the fight against Galamsey. Mr Ashigbey speaking to Myjoynews on the matter said the arrest of Queen Aisha Huang gave Ghana the biggest chance to address the menace yet.

The office of the minister in an attempt to clarify the issues posted this on its Facebook handle

OFFICE OF THE SENIOR MINISTER, GH.

What he meant was that the matter of prosecution had been dealt by a court of competent jurisdiction and that Ghanaians should focus on the economic gains of the government and how best we can consolidate the gains. The Akufo-Addo’s government is highly committed to the fight against GALAMSEY to the extent of establishing an inter ministerial committee to deal with the worrying situation. However, there are pertinent issues we should be looking at as a nation such as creation of employment for our teeming youth, industrialisation, infrastructural deficit, domestic revenue mobilisation, emphasis on technical not gramarian education and how to sustain funding for governments policies and programmes. These were the issues Senior Minister was emphasising instead of limiting the town hall meeting to the discussion of Aisha when the matter had been determined by the court. May God help us!

The Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining has said government’s discontinuation of prosecution of Aisha Huang is a fatal blow to illegal mining.

John Dramani Mahama the Presidential candidate for NDC has said he will ensure the Galamsey queen is rearrested, tried and jailed in Ghana in 2020 Ghana. The former minister of Lands, Inusah Fuseini has called for the head of the Senior Minister  Yaw Osafo-Maafo for the comments is made at the town hall meeting.

Flash Back on the Galemsey Queen Aisha Huang case

Queen Aisha Huang and four others were arrested in Ghana for engaging in illegal mining. The five Chinese were brought before the court on May. 2019 for engaging in Galemsey operations which is an illegal small-scale mining operation. They carried out their operations in the Bepotenten in the Amansie Central District of the Ashanti Region.

Galemsey Queen Aisha Huang was charged with three counts of undertaking small-scale mining operations, which contravenes to Section 99 (1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703);

She was also charged for support services in the illegal mining operations when the Minerals Commission, has not provided her certificates to operate and this was contrary to the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703)

The third charge was against the Ghana Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573).

She and four other accomplices were all charged with disobedience of directives under the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573).

However, the government of Ghana did not have the desire to continue the case which led to their discharge and further deportation. Ghanaians saw the deportation and the unwillingness of the government to continue the case as hypocritical especially when the government had promised the people of Ghana to deal with the Galamsey issues once and for all.