Whilst throwing its full support behind the government in its quest to rid our forests and water borders of illegal miners, CenPOA believes the unannounced visits and arrests of suspected illegal miners by Dr Hanna Bissiw is an over-stretch beyond the lawful mandate of the Minerals Development Fund.

Dr Hanna Bisiw-Kotei, has been fighting against illegal mining. She said she would continue to do that despite threats on her life.

She claimed to have received threats on her life and that of her family due to her involvement in the galamsey fight.

“People go to the internet and pull my pictures and that of my husband, send them to my inbox with all kinds of messages,” she said.

The MDF Administrator was speaking to the media on the sidelines of a community engagement at Atatam in the Adansi Asokwa District of the Ashanti Region.

Read also: Drop in inflation should give Bank of Ghana room to cut policy rate – Theo Acheampong

But CenPOA in a statement said that “It has come to our notice that Dr. Bissiw has been personally visiting mining communities and reportedly issuing threats, carrying out arrests, and confronting individuals suspected to be engaged in illegal mining. While CenPOA is fully in support of the government’s commitment to fighting illegal mining (galamsey), we believe strongly that such actions by the Administrator of the MDF represent a serious overreach of her lawful mandate.

“ The Minerals Development Fund, by statute, is primarily tasked with managing and disbursing royalties to support development in mining communities. Nowhere in the law is the MDF or its leadership empowered to engage in law enforcement activities, including arrests or operational field confrontations. That responsibility squarely lies with the Minerals Commission, the Ghana Police Service, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and relevant task forces such as Operation Halt II.”

Below is a full statement of the petition submitted to the Presidency.

PETITION: CALL HANNA BISSIW TO ORDER – OVERSTEPPING HER MANDATE AS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE MINERALS DEVELOPMENT FUND

Your Excellency, I write on behalf of the Center for Public Opinion and Awareness(CenPOA), to respectfully submit this petition to bring to your urgent attention certain developments regarding the conduct of Dr. Hanna Bissiw, the Administrator of the Minerals Development Fund (MDF).

It has come to our notice that Dr. Bissiw has been personally visiting mining communities and reportedly issuing threats, carrying out arrests, and confronting individuals suspected to be engaged in illegal mining. While CenPOA is fully in support of the government’s commitment to fighting illegal mining (galamsey), we believe strongly that such actions by the Administrator of the MDF represent a serious overreach of her lawful mandate.

The Minerals Development Fund, by statute, is primarily tasked with managing and disbursing royalties to support development in mining communities. Nowhere in the law is the MDF or its leadership empowered to engage in law enforcement activities, including arrests or operational field confrontations.

That responsibility squarely lies with the Minerals Commission, the Ghana Police Service, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and relevant task forces such as Operation Halt II.

Dr. Bissiw’s actions, in our view, risk undermining the credibility and coordination of the government’s anti-galamseycampaign.

More critically, it paints a disturbing picture of institutional indiscipline and boundary-crossing, which could damage Ghana’s image both domestically and internationally.

We are further concerned by reports that many of the individuals confronted or arrested in these encounters are Chinese nationals. While CenPOA does not condone any form of illegal mining activity—whether by locals or foreigners—it is important to acknowledge that these operations are typically done in collaboration with Ghanaian counterparts.

Singling out foreign nationals, particularly Chinese citizens, could create diplomatic discomfort and foster the impression of selective enforcement. We respectfully call on Your Excellency to call Dr. Hanna Bissiw to order and ensure that every public official, including the head of the Minerals Development Fund, operates strictly within their legally defined role.

We remain committed to supporting all lawful efforts to protect Ghana’s natural resources and ensure sustainable development, but we equally believe in institutional discipline, accountability, and the rule of law.