Forum for Accountability and Equal Justice in Northern Ghana (FOAEJU-GH) a known civil society organization operating in the North, has humbly demanded the Upper East Regional Minister’s resignation or sack by the President of the Republic of Ghana. According to the group, resigning or sacking of the accused Regional Minister will pave way for a proper investigation to be conducted following the alleged allegation on abuse of office, abetment of crime, defrauding and false representation. However, the group has threatened that if the Regional Minister failed to comply, they will be hitting the streets in the coming weeks to further demand his resignation or dismissal. “We have been advised by our lawyers not to dwell on matters that have been filed before CHRAJ on abuse of office, abetment of crime, defrauding and false representation as alleged against the Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Stephen Yakubu. We are of the opinion that the Regional Minister, Hon. Stephen Yakubu alias Akurugu, should resign now or be sacked by the President of the Republic of Ghana to allow a proper investigation to take place. Failing to do so, we will hit the streets of the regional capital in the coming weeks to demand his resignation or dismissal. We want to state that our members cut across the political divide. So, we can assure you that you will see majority of NPP, NDC and others among the protesters when the day comes”. Forum for Accountability and Equal Justice in Northern Ghana in their press release also saw a press conference organized by one Azumah Atule and Robert Boazor Tampoare as a fiasco because “It is crystal-clear that all attempts to defend wrongdoing and to protect perpetrators to continue to rob people of their legal rights on small-scale mining concessions are indeed the works of his paymasters in political positions”. Read full statement below: FORUM FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND EQUAL JUSTICE IN NORTHERN GHANA (FOAEJU-GH)                                                                                        Date……………………   PRESS STATEMENT RESPONSE TO SMALL-SCALE MINERS WHO HAVE SIGNED AND RELINQUISHED THEIR INTERESTS IN SMALL-SCALE MINING CONCESSIONS TO EARL INTERNATIONAL GROUP GHANA GOLD LIMITED IN A PRESS RELEASE DATED 23RD JANUARY, 2023. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen from the media, good afternoon. We the members of the Forum for Accountability and Equal Justice in Northern Ghana (FOAEJU-GH) drawn from all the municipalities and districts in the Upper East Region seek to draw the public attention to the predicament which some of our members from mining communities are facing notably the recent challenges in Talensi District, Gbane to be precise. It has come to our notice that one Azumah Atule, who is a member of a small-scale mining group and calls himself a zonal secretary to a Talensi small-scale mining association, signed a release to the subject matter of the day. It is crystal-clear that all attempts to defend wrongdoing and to protect perpetrators to continue to rob people of their legal rights on small-scale mining concessions are indeed the works of his paymasters in political positions. Ladies and gentlemen, we sincerely want to draw your attention to the background of the release signed by the relinquished person in the name of Azumah Atule. In the background of the press release on the said day, he stated a lot of meetings that ended inconclusively prior to the assumption of office as Upper East Regional Minister of Stephen Yakubu also known as Armstrong Akurugu. The fact remains that Azumah Atule and Robert Boazor Tampoare led an instigation that brought about the burning of some machines belonging to Shaanxi Mining Ghana Limited, a support service company serving Yenyeya and Pubortaaba mines at the time and now known as Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited. Inset: A picture of one of the mining machines burned in 2011 through an upheaval led by Atule and Robert. It is also not true that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Yenyeya Mining Company, Hon. Charles Taleog Ndanbon who is also the current Upper East Regional Organiser of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), was walked out because of any stupid action as alleged by Atule Azumah and his clique. The fact remains that he (Hon. Charles Taleog Ndanbon) lawfully protested against an action by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) negotiating to give permit to Earl International (formerly known as Shaanxi) over his valid permit on the same concession which he deemed as illegal. Hon. Ndanbon had hired a lawyer to seek injunction on the issuance of the permit. This lawful protest caused one Mr Ransford Sekyi, an official of the EPA, to request that Hon. Ndanbon take leave of the meeting to speak to his lawyer about the injunction motion before he may rejoin the meeting. Hon. Ndanbon was not walked out from the meeting for any stupid action. Mr Sekyi is a gentleman and he will do no such thing to people. We rather deem it silly for anyone or any group to falsely state that an EPA boss walked someone out. Inset: EPA permits issued to Hon. Charles Taleog Ndanbon, Yenyeya Mining Enterprise’s CEO. It is also not true that Robert Boazor Tampoare and Azumah Atule are concession holders. They are known as members of small-scale mining groups and they (Robert and Atule) cannot hold themselves out as concession owners unlike Hon. Boyak Kolog Zongdan popularly known as Polo and Hon. Charles Taleog Ndanbon who individually have concessions of their own and are CEOs and are well known and respected for responsible mining operations. To set the records straight, it is clear that the authors of their press release were engineered by some political officeholders who are working hard to destroy the businesses of these two honourable and responsible miners, Hon. Boyak Kolog Zongdan popularly known as Polo and Hon. Charles Taleog Ndanbon. Ladies and gentlemen, it is sad to state that these defence witnesses (Robert and Atule) to the Upper East Regional Minister Hon. Stephen Yakubu alias Akurugu are trying to jump the gun by trying to defend the Regional Minister on