President John Dramani Mahama has commended Ohemeng Tawiah, who was adjudged the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Best Reporter on Illegal Mining, for his bravery in carrying out environmental reporting at the risk of his life.
Ohemeng, an Assistant News Editor with Joynews was recognised for his feat in reporting on illegal mining, in which he suffered life-threatening injuries at the hands of illegal miners.
President Mahama told the 29th GJA Awards that such bravery exhibited by Ohemeng Tawiah and his colleague Erastus Asare Donkor inspires hope in the fight against environmental crime.
“I wish to commend journalists like Erastus Asare Donkor and my dear brother Ohemeng, who won the Best Reporter on Illegal Mining, and many others who persist in exposing environmental crime at great personal risk to themselves.”
Ohemeng Tawiah, who has been reporting on illegal mining activities since 2005, received machete wounds, broken wrists, and chest injuries while covering a police raid at the Offin Shelter Belt Forest Reserve on December 20, 2024.
The bandits also seized his Samsung and Sony phones, an amount of GH₵5,600, and a Bluetooth device before smashing the team’s Sony camera.
Ohemeng had earlier exposed the nefarious activities of the illegal miners, protected by armed National Security operatives backed by some elements of the then government in power in the run-up to the 2024 elections, in three forest reserves: the Asenayo, Jimira, and Offin Shelter Belt Forest Reserves in the Ashanti region.
He reported that sounds of excavators could be heard all over the forests as the illegal miners plunder the forests.
These reserves remained a no-go area until May 2025, when the Ministry of Lands announced the government had reclaimed them from the illegal miners.
This feat, according to a government statement, followed coordinated operations led by the Forestry Commission with the support of security agencies under the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
These reserves remained green until a few months before the elections, as confirmed by the Ashanti Regional Manager of the Forestry Commission, Clement Omari, and the Nkawie District Forest Manager, Abraham Essel.
His report, aired on Joynews TV, Adom TV, and Joy Prime TV and also published on Myjoyonline.com, detailed how the ‘dangerous gang’ had succeeded in preventing Forestry Commission officials from accessing the forest.
But despite the attacks, Ohemeng Tawiah protected the most important asset, the memory card, which contained video footage of the destruction caused by illegal miners as well as the bandits.
This special act of protecting vital evidence even at the peril of his life earned him praise at the 29th GJA Awards held at the Manhyia Palace, attended by then Acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie under the patronage of the Asantehene, Otumfuor Osei Tutu II.
“Courage is not the absence of fear. It is acting in spite of it. Through your work, you exemplify this courage. Through painstaking investigations, you exposed the nefarious operations of illegal mining in the Offin Shelter Forest Reserve, bringing national attention to the environmental crimes that threaten Ghana’s forests and communities.”
“Your fearless reporting not only prompted immediate action, forcing illegal miners to remove excavators, but also came at a high personal cost,” a citation accompanying his award reads.
“Brutally assaulted by armed illegal miners while documenting their activities, you sustained life-threatening injuries, yet protected vital evidence on the culprits,” the citation added.
The GJA announced Ohemeng Tawiah’s award at the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Hall at the Manhyia Palace, describing his exploits as “unwavering bravery.”
“For your unwavering bravery, commitment to truth, and relentless commitment to the fight against galamsey, the Ghana Journalists Association proudly honours you, Ohemeng Tawiah, with this award. We celebrate you for risking your life to shine light on the shadows of illegal mining.”
Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah, Lands and Natural Resources Minister, and Dr. Frank Amoakohene, Ashanti Regional Minister, had their first illegal mining assignment in the Ashanti region, which took place in the Offin Shelterbelt Forest Reserve.
The attacks on Ohemeng Tawiah, who spent days at the hospital, received wide condemnation both locally and abroad.
While the Ghana Journalists Association called on President Mahama to take personal interest in the case, the Media Foundation for West Africa called for the swift arrest of the perpetrators.
The Committee for the Protection of Journalists, New York, through its Abuja office, called for accountability on the part of Ghanaian authorities to bring the attackers to book.
For President Mahama, such bravery and perseverance inspire hope, especially in the nation’s quest to fight environmental plunder.
“Your bravery is noted. It is patriotic, and your efforts strengthen our moral reserve to continue the fight against illegal mining,” he said.
“I wish to assure you, as your president, that I will never, never give up the fight,” he added.
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