President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has contradicted statements by some of his appointees that illegal small-scale mining (‘galamsey’) kingpin, Aisha Huang, was deported from Ghana in 2018.
\Speaking in an interview on Stone City Radio in Ho during his tour of the Volta Region, which monitored, Akufo-Addo expressed uncertainty about whether Aisha Huang was deported.
According to the president, it is likely that the ‘galamsey’ queen was never deported but fled the country in 2018.
“… I am not still sure whether she was, in fact, deported or whether she fled the country the first time and has now come back or whatever. There still seems to be some uncertainty about it.
“Whichever way it is, she has become a sort of nickname for all that the ‘galamsey’ represent and also, unfortunately, for the involvement of Chinese nationals in this illicit trade,” he said.
Akufo-Addo, however, indicated that the government was committed to fighting the menace.
The president’s remarks appear to have surprised Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, whose facial expression suddenly changed.
Several government spokespersons, including the Ghana Immigration Service officials, have said that Aisha Huang was deported.
Senior Advisor to the president, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, even justified the government’s decision to deport her, saying it was in Ghana’s best interest.
