The Eastern Regional Representative on the Council of State, Her Excellency Evelyn Korang, has rejected what she describes as a deliberate campaign of misinformation and political mischief circulating on social media to tarnish her reputation and mislead the public.
She clarified that while government has introduced a Cooperative Mining Programme, it has not yet commenced in the Eastern Region, making claims that she is blocking or obstructing the programme in the region misleading, false, and politically motivated.
“You cannot block a programme that has not started in the Eastern Region. These claims are deliberate lies,” she stated.
Madam Korang accused the originators of the allegations of intentionally misleading the public in an effort to protect illegal mining interests unsettled by the government’s firm and uncompromising stance against galamsey in the region.
She emphasised that she has consistently worked to promote legal, regulated, and environmentally responsible mining, noting her direct engagement with chiefs, youth groups, and regulatory institutions to help communities regularise mining activities where permitted by law.
“I have personally led chiefs and youth groups to the appropriate state institutions to acquire licences. That is not obstruction — that is leadership,” she stressed.
Madam Korang disclosed that she has on several occasions personally escorted the Ankaasehene, Bunsohene, Sekyerehene, and organised youth groups to pursue lawful mining arrangements, insisting that all mining activities must strictly comply with the law and environmental standards.
She further explained that the recent attacks on her character coincide with intensified enforcement actions against illegal mining operations, particularly those undertaken following a formal petition by the Bunsohene requesting urgent state intervention.
According to her, the petition cited the invasion of farmlands, cocoa plantations, and protected research areas by armed illegal miners, the pollution of water bodies, the destruction of livelihoods, and the creation of fear within affected communities.
“When the law begins to work, those who profit from lawlessness begin to shout,” she remarked.
Madam Korang dismissed attempts to link her to enforcement actions by NAIMOS as a cowardly attempt to divert attention from criminal activities and intimidate public officials who refuse to compromise.
She stressed that the NDC government will not bow to pressure from galamsey operators or their political sympathisers, reaffirming its commitment to environmental protection, food security, and the safety of communities over illegal profit.
“If defending cocoa lands, rivers, and community safety makes me an enemy to illegal miners, then I wear that badge with honour,” she declared.
Madam Korang reaffirmed her commitment to working closely with traditional leaders, security agencies, and relevant state institutions to eliminate illegal mining while supporting only lawful, responsible, and sustainable mining initiatives in the Eastern Region.
She concluded by urging the public to reject misinformation, remain vigilant against propaganda, and stand with leaders prepared to protect Ghana’s land and future, even when such actions are politically inconvenient.
