President Akufo-Addo defends Akonta Mining; says company not engaged in illegal mining

Despite the widespread allegations that Akonta Mining Company Limited is engaged in illegal mining in the country, President Akufo-Addo has asserted otherwise.

According to the President, the mining company which is owned by the NPP bigwig and the chairman of the New Patriotic Party in the Ashanti Region, Bernard Antwi Bosiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi is currently not engaged in any illegal mining.

The President of the Republic made this assertion at the 28th National and 16th Biennial Congress of the National Union of Ghana Catholic Diocesan Priests Association held in Koforidua on Wednesday.

This reaction from Nana Akufo-Addo was made in response to the claims of the Chairman of the occasion, Ing. Ken Ashigbey who expressed his displeasure that he cannot fathom why Chairman Wontumi is walking around as a free man after numerous accusations of illegal mining have been levelled against him.

Ing. Ken Ashigbey therefore called for the arrest and prosecution of the NPP man.

But in his quick response, President Akufo-Addo said, “let me respond briefly to the chairperson on the issue of illegal mining. I want to assure him and all of you that Akonta Mining is not engaged in any illegal mining anywhere in Ghana as we speak.”

“Further, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has through the agency of the Forestry Commission, with the assistance of the military, made the effort to cordon off all 294 sites of forest reserves in the country and rid them of illegal mining as we speak,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Special Prosecutor last year launched an investigation into the operations of Akonta Mining Company Limited to ascertain the veracity of the allegations made against the company.