The Chief of Whindo in the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipality, Nana Quasie Essiem IV, has earned widespread praise after rejecting a reported GH¢2 million bribe and other lucrative offers from alleged Chinese illegal miners attempting to operate in her community near Takoradi.
According to reports, the group arrived in a convoy of V8 SUVs with heavy mining equipment, including excavators, changfang machines, and generators, seeking to mine gold in the area. The delegation was led by a local Ghanaian resident.
Despite their high-value offer, Nana Quasie Essiem IV stood her ground, warning that she would never exchange her community’s future for money.
“I need money, we all do — but I will not mortgage the future of this community in the name of money,” she stated.
In a bold move, the chief hired a low-bed truck to seize and transport the illegal equipment to the regional police command. She reaffirmed her firm stance against both illegal and legal mining in her community.
“Whether you have a permit or not — it’s still ‘no’. Our land is our livelihood,” she added.
Nana Quasie Essiem IV’s decisive action has reignited conversations around leadership, environmental protection, and the ongoing fight against illegal mining (galamsey) in Ghana.
