The National Democratic Congress (NDC) chapter in the Prestea Huni Valley Constituency has accused the New Patriotic Party former Member of Parliament for the Constituency, Honorable Barbara Oteng Gyasi of supervising recent military attacks on local miners in the area.
The party in a statement issued by the Constituency Communications Bureau expressed deep concerns over what it described as the ruling party’s attempt to absolve the former Member of Parliament, Honorable Barbara Oteng Gyasi for her involvement in the deployment of military forces.
“It is with great dismay that we respond to the recent claims of the NPP attempting to absolve Barbara Oteng Gyasi of her involvement in the deployment of military forces to harass galamsey operators within Prestea enclave and residents of the Dumase community, particularly over the ECOMOG mining concession”
Prestea Huni Valley NDC’s Communications Bureau
The National Democratic Congress in the Prestea Huni Valley refuting the claims, cited Honorable Barbara Oteng Gyasi’s alleged own admission during a recent media interview, where she reportedly acknowledged the role of the Minerals Commission in orchestrating the military deployment.
The statement posited that since the New Patriotic Party former Member of Parliament for the area serves as the board chairperson of the Mineral Commission, it is therefore obvious she was deeply instrumental in the military deployment.
Furthermore, the National Democratic Congress in the Prestea Huni Valley accused certain media outlets perceived to be affiliated with the ruling party of attempting to distort the truth and mislead the public on the issue.
The statement urged the general public to disregard any narrative that seeks to extricate Honorable Barbara Oteng Gyasi from the military deployment that resulted in physical attacks against some local miners and residents of the Dumase community, particularly over the contentious ECOMOG mining concession.
Sale of “Fake Meters”
Moreover, the National Democratic Congress in the Prestea Huni Valley condemned what it termed as the “disingenuousness” on the part of the former Member of Parliament for the area, Honorable Barbara Oteng Gyasi’s denial of any knowledge regarding the sale of alleged fake meters within the constituency.
The fake meters, according to the National Democratic Congress in the Prestea Huni Valley statement bore Honorable Gyasi’s name and were sold at discounted prices during the 2020 elections.
The statement further indicated that the sales of the alleged fake meters were part of a scheme orchestrated by governing party executives, including the constituency vice-chairman to induce constituents during the 2020 general elections.
The National Democratic Congress statement also accused Honorable Barbara Oteng Gyasi of remaining silent while the meters were given to constituents in her name during the 2020 campaign trail for political gain, only to distance herself from the controversy when constituents faced challenges due to the non functionality of the meters.
In addition, the National Democratic Congress in the Prestea Huni Valley criticized Honorable Barabara Oteng Gyasi’s track record, both as a former Member of Parliament and Deputy Minister for Land and Natural Resources.
The statement highlighted what the party in the constituency described as Honorable Gyasi’s failure to address significant environmental concerns, such as the pollution of the Ankobra River resulting from alluvial mining operations in Dwira and Nzema.
The statement alleged that instead of Honorable Gyasi addressing such pressing issues within the constituency, she rather opted to deploy military forces to harass vulnerable individuals engaged in subsistence activities in Dumase and Prestea.
The National Democratic Congress in the Prestea Huni Valley concluded its statement by urging the people of Prestea Huni Valley to be vigilant about what it termed as “deceptive tactics” employed by the ruling New Patriotic Party and hold the party accountable for its actions.
The statement admonished the constituents against overlooking Honorable Gyasi’s leadership record, which it claimed is marred by involvement in controversial incidents.
The National NDC’s Communications Bureau in the Prestea-Huni Valley Constituency also reaffirmed the party’s dedication to advocating for the interests of the constituency’s residents and called for a thorough examination of Honorable Gyasi’s leadership ahead of the upcoming election.
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