The Acting Managing Director of the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC), Sammy Gyamfi, has stated that the accountability period for the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, is near.
According to Gyamfi, the government’s revocation of Wontumi’s Akonta Mining license is a testament to President John Dramani Mahama’s commitment to tackling illegal mining, popularly known as “galamsey.”
“The day of reckoning for Chairman Wontumi and his ilk has come. @JDMahama means business. Together with well-meaning Ghanaians, we shall win the fight against illegal mining and preserve our environment,” he stated in a social media post on April 22, 2025.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has directed the Minerals Commission to revoke the mining lease of Akonta Mining Ltd due to alleged illegal activities.
This follows a joint operation by the Ghana Police Service and the Forestry Commission, which uncovered six unauthorized mining sites connected to the company. Akonta Mining is owned by Bernard Antwi Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, who serves as the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Speaking at a press briefing on April 21, 2025, Minister Armah-Kofi Buah stated that community members reported the company often used forceful means to invade farmlands, causing destruction to crops and livelihoods of local farmers.
His directive aligns with the government’s broader efforts to clamp down on illegal mining operations across the country.
“Armed with this intel, on the eve of Good Friday (April 17 2025), an intelligence-led operation by the Ghana Police Service and the Forestry Commission led to the raid of six illegal mining sites linked to Akonta Mining.”
According to the minister, the operation in Compartment 49, which began at 5 AM and lasted a whopping 12 hours, resulted in:
* 51 arrests (8 Chinese, 39 Ghanaian men, 4 Ghanaian women)
* Seizure of about 30 excavators, 5 recovered and impounded at the operation base
* 2 Pump-action guns loaded with 5 and 2 rounds of BB cartridges each, one single-barrel gun retrieved
* Confiscation of 2 Toyota Hilux pickups, 1 Toyota RAV4, four motorbikes, and a cache of mining equipment.
He added that all suspects have been transported to Accra and are in the custody of the Ghana Police Service, pending prosecution.
