The Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, Collins Dauda, has clarified his involvement in the recent clash between residents of Hwidiem and personn
The Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, Collins Dauda, has clarified his involvement in the recent clash between residents of Hwidiem and personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) taskforce.
Speaking on November 3, 2025, Mr. Dauda denied reports that he ordered the release of arrested miners, explaining that the Asutifi North MP only intervened at his request to gather information about the operation.
According to Mr. Dauda, he first learned of the military operation while attending Pan-African Parliament meetings in South Africa. Concerned about calls from constituents, he instructed the local Assembly member to reach out to the taskforce, but the team leader declined to speak with him.
“When the calls kept coming, the Asutifi North MP contacted me, saying he was coming for a funeral in my constituency,” Dauda recounted. “I asked him to speak with the commander of the team to get a briefing. He did not initially plan to go; he went because I requested it.”
Mr. Dauda said the Asutifi North MP was later briefed by the taskforce commander about illegal mining activities and the destruction of equipment.
“I did not intervene in the operation. The call even dropped during the briefing, and I did not call back. Later, I heard that some youth attacked the team as they moved to the police station. That is all I know,” he said.
Responding to allegations that he ordered the release of arrested individuals, Mr. Dauda was emphatic:
“I did not instruct the commander to release anyone arrested. If he is a Catholic, he should swear with his rosary; if not, he can use his Bible—I am willing to hold the Quran and swear. The conversation was not even completed, and the line dropped.”
His comments come amid investigations by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) into the violent confrontation at Hwidiem on November 1, 2025, where a mob reportedly attacked NAIMOS personnel and damaged vehicles while attempting to disrupt the transfer of seized items and suspects.
Meanwhile, the Asutifi North MP, Patrick Banor Addo, has also issued a statement clarifying his involvement. He explained that while en route to a funeral at Achrensua, he received information about the tense situation and, after consulting Mr. Dauda, proceeded to the site on his colleague’s instructions to ascertain what was happening.