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Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker has lashed out at Nana Nyonwah Panyin IV, who claims to be the Chief of Dompim-Pepesa, over his allegations against him.

Nana Nyonwah Panyin IV alleged that the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, Deputy Lands Minister, George Mireku Duker and the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Chief Executive, Benjamin Kessie are culprits in the galamsey trade.

To him, the involvement of these appointees and other government officials has made the combat against the illegal mining (galamsey) a living hell for the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the people of Ghana.

“I know not of any company but I know of the very people who are behind the operations of ‘galamsey’ in my area. First and foremost the Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah is involved.

The MP for the area, Tarkwa Nsuaem, Honorable George Mireku-Duker is also involved and the MCE, Benjamin Kessie is also involved I have told you I am not going to disclose my arsenals to you.”

“They said they were going to sue, so let them sue. I’ll let out my arsenals at the right time,” he said in an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show.

But the Deputy Minister has refuted the claims.

According to him, his accuser is bitter about something that happened in the past involving the two of them.

He explained that Nana Nyonwah Panyin IV's accusations are born out of malice because he (Mireku Duker), who was the Chief of the community in 2008 till he abdicated his throne to vie for parliamentary seat, didn't hand over the reins to him (Nana Nyonwah Panyin IV).

He disclosed that Nana Nyonwah Panyin IV is his nephew but not Chief of the area.

"Dompim-Pepesa, I, Mireku Duker was the Chief there as at 2008. This Dakyi guy is my nephew; he is my direct nephew. My sister is his mother...All that he is doing is because I didn't make him the Chief. I didn't hand over to him..."

As a result, Nana Nyonwah Panyin IV has made it his assignment to vilify him and aims to bring him down.

"This person who is parading himself (as Chief) did the worse things during the 2020 elections. He organized press conferences, led independent candidate against me and so forth. So, he is so bitter", he said while addressing the issue on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme.

Hon. Mireku Duker stated categorically that he has "never done mining before" and never engaged in galamsey.

"This is not something you can hide...Any person who does mining, the small-scale miners will know that you are a miner...The people will know when you do mining. It won't take Nathaniel Dakyi to tell Ghanaians that Mireku Duker is involved in galamsey. I mean it doesn't add up. Everybody knows that he is someone consistently hates me because he thinks I didn't support him to become Chief of Dompim", he stated.



He vowed to file a law suit against Nana Nyonwah Panyin IV regarding the allegations.

He stressed; "During the election time, he said a lot of things against me and because it was in the campaign season, I didn't mind him but for this recent one, I will not let it slide. I have engaged my lawyers who as I talk right now are preparing his writ for court. I believe the court is an open forum where, due to democracy, you can present every evidence you have and prove to Ghanaians if Mireku Duker does galamsey but if it's not true, then the law will deal with him accordingly."