In an era when illegal mining continues to ravage Ghana’s lands and rivers, a courageous female chief in the Western Region has become a beacon of integrity, boldly confronting illegal miners and turning down a staggering GH¢2 million bribe meant to buy her silence.
Nana Quasie Essiem IV, the Chief of Whindo in the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipality near Takoradi, stood her ground when a group of Chinese nationals, led by a local intermediary, approached her to secure land for galamsey operations in her community.
According to the chief, the group arrived at her palace in a convoy of V8 vehicles, offering money and other incentives to gain her approval. But she firmly declined, insisting that no amount of money could justify the destruction of her community’s environment and future.
“We all need money, but not at the expense of our people and the generations unborn,” Nana Essiem declared passionately. “Our land is our livelihood, and I will not mortgage it in the name of money.”
Following her rejection of the offer, the illegal miners allegedly returned in her absence with heavy-duty equipment, including excavators, changfang machines, water pumps, and power generators, and began clearing portions of land for mining.
Upon learning of their activities, Nana Essiem mobilized help to seize the machinery and had them transported on a low-bed truck to the Western Regional Police Command in Sekondi for safekeeping.
“They thought I would look away,” she recounted. “But before the police even arrived, I made sure the machines were hauled away. They must reclaim the land they destroyed and answer to the authorities.”
The people of Whindo have rallied behind their chief, vowing to resist any future attempt by illegal miners to infiltrate their land.
“We are fully behind Nana Essiem,” said Henry K. Adjei, an engineer and resident of the community. “She has shown true leadership. This is how traditional authority can support government efforts in protecting the environment.”
He added that the chief’s courage should inspire other local leaders to prioritize community welfare over personal gain.
Nana Essiem has vowed to continue her fight against galamsey, declaring that as long as she remains the chief of Whindo, no mining activity, legal or illegal, will take place under her watch.
“It is ‘no’ today, it will be ‘no’ tomorrow, and it will remain ‘no’ forever,” she said defiantly. “Our land is a trust for generations yet unborn, and I will protect it at all costs.”
The Chief’s decisive action has drawn admiration from across the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis and beyond, with many describing her as a symbol of moral strength in Ghana’s prolonged battle against illegal minin
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