Pro-Environmentalist Group, Eco-conscious Citizens, has initiated legal action against Akonta mining firm following the government’s failure to prosecute managers of the firm over alleged illegal mining.
The mining firm owned by the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the ruling NPP, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako also known as Chairman Wontumi is alleged to have engaged in illegal mining.
The Ministry of Lands and Natural resources on Friday, September 30, 2022, ordered the Company to desist from mining in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the Western Region without permit.
Speaking to Starr Today with Joshua Kodjo Mensah, Executive Director for Eco-conscious Citizens, Awula Serwaa said the Ghana Police Service should have initiated a criminal prosecution against Akonta after the documentary on its activities.
“The President is not an investigator with all due respect, he is not the court. Complaints have been made and there was a documentary and we saw the vehicles of Akonta mining in the forest reserves. Now, they were later on ordered to leave, why were they ordered to leave if everything was in order?
“There have been complaints by the people in the area and we think that the best thing that should have been done was to have a thorough investigation. But we don’t think it was up to the President to be a judge and jury to decide that they were not engaging in illegal mining. To be fair to him, he didn’t say they have never been engaged in illegal mining. He said at that time they were not currently.
She continued: “So words are important, he didn’t actually say they were not engaged in illegal mining or even as we are having this conversation they are not. So the proper person to take the decision was the police should have investigated them. We were expecting criminal prosecution but since that is not taking place and for us it undermines the whole fight against galamsey. Because many people are saying that is there any real fight against galamsey?”
Madam Awula added that the galamsey situation is getting worse by day, “today the activities on the Black Volta galamsey is going on and people can’t believe that if the State is really interested in clumping down it should be going on as it is.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM
