Sand winners and tipper truck operators in Dawa and neighbouring communities have petitioned the Sand and Stone Contractors Association of Ghana to investigate alleged harassment and intimidation and clarify the legal basis of disputed enforcement operations.
The operators also called for an independent investigation into the conduct of persons and institutions linked to the operations.
In a petition copied to the Ghana News Agency, and signed by Mr Anthony Mensah on behalf of the affected operators, the group said the situation had worsened since it issued a communiqué on September 11, 2026, over the alleged monopolisation of sand-winning activities in the area.
The petition alleged that Mr Lyngstern Kobby White, who reportedly presented himself as a liaison officer for the Minerals Commission and the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), had conducted operations against sand winners since September 6, 2026.
It said the operations, which began in Dawa, had extended to Sege Volivo, Tokpo and Lurta, affecting operators from communities including Dawhenya, Prampram, Afienya, Dodowa, Adenta, Tsopoli, Teshie Twiibre and Mobole.
The group alleged that some of its members had been subjected to harassment, assault, intimidation and destruction of property during the operations.
The petition said appeals had been lodged with Mr Samuel Nartey George, Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, the Ghana Military Police, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the Tema Regional Police Command and other authorities.
It said the operators were yet to obtain what they considered a satisfactory resolution.
The petition further alleged that an attempt by the Tema Regional Police Command to effect arrests at the Minerals Commission premises on October 12, 2026, was resisted by NAIMOS personnel.
It also raised concerns about an alleged relationship between Mr Maxwell Yao Akpene Klu, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, and Mr White, whom the group described as a sand winner and member of the National Sand and Stone Winners and Tipper Truck Operators Union (NSSOWTTU).
The petition stressed that the concerns constituted allegations requiring investigation and were not established facts.
The operators said that although the Minerals Commission had reportedly distanced itself from the operations, receipts and notices of fines were allegedly issued during the exercise.
They called for verification of the documents and clarification from the Minerals Commission and NAIMOS on the legal authority under which the operations were conducted.
The petition appealed to the Sand and Stone Contractors Association of Ghana to engage the relevant authorities to address the allegations and facilitate an independent investigation into the matter.
The operators also requested an examination of the alleged conflict-of-interest concerns involving Mr Klu, with any action taken in accordance with due process.
They further called for an urgent stakeholder meeting involving the Association, affected operators, the Minerals Commission, NAIMOS and security agencies.
The petition urged authorities to educate sand winners and tipper truck drivers on the verification of waybills and other operational documents.
It said drivers could not readily distinguish genuine waybills from forged documents and lacked authority to inspect the documents of sand winners.
The group also called for any person found to have assaulted its members to be held accountable under the law.
The petition said members feared possible confrontations or demonstrations if the matter remained unresolved, but emphasised that they did not support violence or unlawful conduct.
It said a planned press conference on November 19, 2026, could be unnecessary if the Association’s intervention helped resolve the matter.
The operators said their objective was to promote fairness, accountability and transparency rather than undermine any individual or institution.
Source: GNA
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