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Former PNC General Secretary, Atik Mohammed, has blamed officials of the National Identification Authority (NIA) for failing to alert the security authorities about the resurface of Aisha Huang, the Chinese galamsey kingpin, in Ghana.

Aisha Huang was deported in 2018 from Ghana for committing offences related to illegal mining, popularly called 'galamsey', but in January this year, the woman used the Togo border with a new passport to re-enter the country.

In February 2022, Aisha Huang applied for a new Ghana Card (non-citizen) under a new identity but according to the National Identification Authority, her request was turned down.

However, the NIA official engaging the illegal miner gave her the option of renewing her old details after their system found similar biodata of her registered under the name En Huang in 2014 and 2018.

Reacting during Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme, Atik Mohammed finds it difficult to understand why the NIA official failed to raise a red flag over Aisha's insistence to change her identity and claims that her date of birth didn't correspond with her original details.

It should have "triggered someone in the NIA to say this is not right and somebody should have alerted the security agencies. This is not normal. How can you, a Chinese, change your name and date of birth? Like these are red flags that should have triggered some action from the person who was involved in this process but they slumbered on this responsibility and gave the woman the opportunity to get her Ghana Card and going with it," he said.

He asked why the Authority didn't report her to the security agencies when they found discrepancies in her details, stressing Aisha would have been arrested earlier than the security officers did.

"On this ocassion, we have to commend the security agencies. They have done exceptionally well," he asserted.

To Atik Mohammed, this Aisha Huang's case reflects the reality in fighting galamsey saying there are local collaborators helping the illegal miners.

"Our collective commitment to the fight against corruption, sometimes, is betrayed by the actions of some individuals...Even if you bring such a person and she does the wrong thing and is deported, you should take a cue from it. If she comes back, you should be careful but they didn't care. They felt that [oh] we can always find our ways around the laws and do what we can to continue to have her in this country."