The Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Professor Nana Ama Klutse, has shared a harrowing account of the events
The Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Professor Nana Ama Klutse, has shared a harrowing account of the events leading to the recent accident involving journalists and EPA staff during an anti-galamsey operation near Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.
According to Professor Klutse, the team’s vehicle crashed while fleeing from a group of heavily built, armed illegal miners who ambushed them during the operation.
“The operation, which began on Wednesday, November 5, forms part of a three-week nationwide exercise by the EPA to clamp down on illegal mining, particularly those destroying our water bodies,” she said. “We realized that stopping the river mining alone wasn’t enough — we needed to go after the suppliers too.”
She explained that the operation started with the closure of several shops at Anhwia Nkwanta that supply mining equipment to illegal miners. However, on Thursday, while en route to another target site, the team encountered active galamsey operations near Obuasi.
“Near Obuasi, we saw illegal miners at work and decided to inspect the site. By the time we arrived, most had fled, but we found excavators in the river, blocking tributaries and causing flooding — it was a complete mess,” Professor Klutse recounted during an interview on TV3 on Thursday, November 6.
As the team attempted to leave the area, they were suddenly approached by armed men. “We had the military and national security with us, but we couldn’t engage them. We had to flee for our lives. In the process, while speeding away, we were involved in an accident,” she said.
One of the vehicles, which was carrying EPA staff and journalists, reportedly collided head-on with a truck loaded with pipes suspected to be used for illegal mining.
“Some of the armed men wore black clothing with ‘CID’ written on their backs. The soldiers and national security officers demanded their identification, but the situation quickly became tense, so we had to retreat,” she added.
Professor Klutse revealed that due to security threats, the team was instructed by their superiors in Accra to take an alternative route through the Western and Central Regions to Kumasi. “Unfortunately, just before we reached Kumasi, we were involved in the head-on collision,” she said.
She expressed gratitude that all the victims survived the crash but confirmed that several sustained injuries. “One of the Joy TV cameramen has a broken thigh, an Adom TV correspondent suffered a head injury, and some of our EPA staff were also hurt. Thankfully, they’re all responding to treatment,” she noted.
Professor Klutse appealed to medical professionals to give the injured special attention, emphasizing that they sustained their injuries while serving the nation. “We thank God for their lives and are ensuring they receive the best care possible,” she concluded.