Legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has declared his intention to report the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, to the Police Service over his alleged involvement in illegal mining, also known as galamsey.
Mr Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has become the talk of town after his company, Akonta Mining Limited, was reportedly found mining at the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve without a mining license, implying an illegality.
Chairman Wontumi has denied reports by JoyNews suggesting his involvement in the menace that has destroyed water bodies and forest reserves in the country.
“I have a large scale company which Akonta Mining is under… All the required documents, I have, I will make all available,” Chairman Wontumi said.
Despite his rebuttal, Martin Kpebu insists that the NPP Ashanti Regional Chair is complicit in illegal mining.
“I will call Eratus that we should go, I will accompany him. If he is not willing to be complainant, I am willing because if the Police are not willing to take in Chairman Wontumi I will go and lodge an official complaint and be complainant in the case so that they will start a formal investigation,” he said while speaking on October 8’s edition of Newsfile hosted by Samson Lardy Anyenini.
According to him, the Police Service’s inaction over the matter reads foul play as Inspector-General of Police, Dr George Afuff Dampare and his officers have been swift to arrest other illegal miners.
“.. Now IGP, save our day, save Ghana, rein in Wontumi…Where is IGP, can’t he go and arrest Wontumi?” he asked.
In a press statement dated August 18, 2022, Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Martin Ayisi, revealed that Akonta Mining Ltd has applied for a prospecting licence which is yet to be processed by the Commission. The Company also applied for a Forest Entry Permit to enter the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.
A recent statement from the Lands Ministry goes to show that Akonta Mining Limited has been engaging in mining activities in the Tano Nimiri Forest.
The Lands Ministry in a statement dated September 30, 2022, directed Akonta Mining Limited to halt its operations in the forest reserve.
“Our records show that Akonta Mining Ltd, on August 25, 2022, applied for a Mining Lease to undertake mining operations in the said Forest Reserve. By a Ministerial Directive, all reconnaissance, prospecting and/or exploratory activities in Forest Reserves in the country are suspended, except in exceptional circumstances.
“Although this directive does not affect mining in Forest Reserves, Akonta Mining Limited’s application has not been determined. Accordingly, any alleged activity being undertaken by the company in the Forest Reserve is illegal,” parts of the statement read.
Due to this revelation, Mr Kpebu is of the assertion that President Akufo-Addo, who has declared his intention to fight galamsey with all his might and has put his presidency on the line, is shielding persons involved in illegal mining.
“President Akufo-Addo has shown that for him, he will cover up all erring appointees. That is his mantra.”
Meanwhile, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has demanded that President Akufo-Addo begin to ensure all who are engaged in illegal mining within his government are sanctioned as stated by the law.
The party’s National Communication Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, during a presser last Thursday said “Ghanaians are tired of your flowery speeches and useless rhetoric. The so-called fight against ‘galamsey’ has been a spectacular failure and the only way to salvage it is for you to man up and finally begin to crack the whip on your errant appointees and NPP functionaries who are neck-deep in the ‘galamsey’ business.”
“We demand the immediate prosecution of all NPP functionaries and NPP officials who have engaged in illegal mining such as Charles Bissue, Chairman Wontumi, the evidence is clear, Andy Owusu, Ekow Ewusi, Prof. Frimpong Boateng among others,” he added.
In a recent development, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker has disclosed that Akonta Mining firm has vacated its ‘galamsey’ site in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.
Source: The Independent Ghana