Sir John, Wontumi into illegal mining despite ban – Chiefs reveal

Chiefs at Jacobu in the Amansie Central District of the Ashanti Region last week left the Minister of Minister of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs, Kofi Dzamesi and his delegation in shock when they fingered two key figures of the current administration engaging in illegal mining despite the ban.

The angry chiefs said the Chief Executive Officer of Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie has betrayed his country on his job as the commissioner

According to the chiefs, Sir John and the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka chairman Wontumi have become the bad nuts in the current government, sabotaging the country’s quest for development in its fight against illegal mining. The chiefs alleged that, Sir John and his accomplice Chairman Wontumi have been carrying out illegal mining activities in the forest reserve of the area in the name of reclamation.

But one question people have been asking since the report come out from the chiefs was, is the current government really trustworthy in managing the country or it has just not been able to manage information it feeds the public.

The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Mr. Benita Owusu-Bio in June in a report by MyNewsGh.com stated in an interview that, the government has suspended all reclamation exercises in the country.

“As we speak now, the government has stopped all reclamation activities in the country. Nobody in the country has the permit to carry out such activity. We have stopped all of them, its emphatic”. He stressed Mr. Benita further urged the general public to report any individuals who carry out such activity to authorities.

But these Chiefs of Amansie Central town of Jacobu want Nana Addo to fight his own appointees and not any other in his resolve to end galamsey.

The chiefs alleged that, Mr. Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie has given out a concession of the Aprampram Forest Reserve to Chinese for mining in the pretense of reclamation which according to the ministry of lands has been stopped.

The traditional rulers also added that, Operation Vanguard (OV) who are supposed to arrest them have been offering protection instead.

“Though the OV comes to the site, yet nothing has been done”. One chief said in his speech.

“Sir John and the Ashanti Regional Chairman sent about 30 excavators into the forest with the protection of military men. As the chief of my community, I didn’t know anything about that. All we hear was that they were coming to reclaim the land. But not too long just about two weeks, they began illegal mining activities” spokesperson of the chiefs added.