The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Suaman in the Western North Region, Obour Vasco, has denied allegations that equipment under the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) is being used for illegal mining activities, commonly known as galamsey.
Describing the claims as a deliberate attempt to tarnish his reputation, the DCE said the matter has been reported to the police.
“I have seen the video shared on a WhatsApp platform by a research assistant to an MP, but I have reported the matter to the police because he is spreading false information and creating fear and panic,” he stated.
His comments come in response to a viral video purporting that DRIP equipment was being used for galamsey under his supervision.
Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Vasco dismissed the video as misleading and threatened legal action against the individuals behind the video and media outlets that published the story without verification.
He clarified that the DRIP initiative, introduced under the Akufo-Addo administration, did not include excavators, contrary to claims in the video.
“I don’t have any site, and neither am I involved in galamsey. All the DRIP machines have been parked at the barracks for the past three weeks. It was over a month ago when the immigration commander at Obengkrom requested a bulldozer.
“As the head of DISEC, I work with the security agencies, and that was why I granted the request,” he explained.
Mr. Vasco added that the lowbed transporting the equipment had broken down three weeks ago due to a tyre fault and that inspectors from the Roads Ministry had recently checked the machines, which remain intact.
He emphasized that traditional authorities and the Ghana Immigration Service had also been involved in the legitimate use of the equipment, and at no point had it been diverted for illegal mining.
