Soldiers whip teachers during anti-galamsey operation in Tarkwa

Three teachers at Adiewoso M/A Basic School in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region are reported to have been assaulted by men believed to be military officers during an anti-galamsey operation in the community.

The incident reportedly occurred after a rubber processing company invited military personnel to help stop illegal mining activities on its plantation near the town and the school. According to reports, the soldiers initially stormed the area to confront suspected illegal miners, popularly known as galamseyers, before later returning to their barracks.

However, residents say the situation escalated in the early hours of Thursday when the military officers allegedly returned to the community and began assaulting residents, particularly young men and other males suspected to be linked to illegal mining activities.

Among those reportedly attacked were three teachers from the Adiewoso M/A Basic School, including the headteacher and the husband of a female teacher who had reportedly visited his wife at the school premises.

Daniel Mensah, the Wassa West District Vice Chairman of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), said the teachers attempted to explain to the soldiers that they were educators and had no involvement in illegal mining activities.

According to him, the teachers even presented their GNAT membership cards as proof of their identities.

Despite the explanation, the soldiers allegedly ignored them and accused teachers in the area of failing to advise community members against engaging in galamsey activities on the rubber plantation.

Mensah quoted the officers as saying, “You teachers should rather advise the town folks not to do galamsey in the rubber plantation. This is nonsense.”

The soldiers allegedly ordered the teachers to lie on the ground before whipping them with objects, leaving them with injuries on their backs and other parts of their bodies.