PHOTO: A banner of Akonta Mining
The law is finally baring its teeth at the once-untouchable Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, after his mining company was busted red-handed plundering a protected forest reserve.
In what appears to be the end of years of political cover, the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, has dropped a bombshell — confirming that Akonta Mining, linked to Wontumi, is under full-scale investigation following a daring raid on six illegal mining sites. This follows a major intelligence-led operation conducted over the Easter weekend, targeting six sites believed to be illegally operated by Akonta Mining.
The multi-agency crackdown, led by the Ghana Police Service and the Forestry Commission, took place on 17 April and extended over a gruelling 12 hours. According to the Ministry, the operation is ongoing, with further deployments over the following days. A number of assets have been seized, including two Toyota Hilux pickups, one RAV4, four motorbikes, and an assortment of mining equipment. A single-barrel shotgun was also retrieved. Five-one suspects were arrested and are currently in police custody in Accra, awaiting prosecution.
Speaking at a press briefing, Minister Buah did not mince words: “I have authorised the Minerals Commission to immediately revoke the lease of Akonta Mining. Officials of the Forestry Commission who were complicit are being interdicted, and security personnel suspected of collusion are under review.”
The intervention marks a sharp departure from the past, during which Akonta Mining — and by extension, Wontumi — appeared to operate with minimal oversight despite persistent allegations of encroachment into forest reserves and protected lands.
Interviews conducted with affected residents paint a picture of systemic abuse. Locals allege that the company frequently used forceful tactics to occupy farmland, leaving farmers displaced and their produce destroyed. One resident, speaking anonymously, described “a climate of fear” and said the company operated “as though the land belonged to them alone.”
The Ministry has also confirmed that the Attorney General has taken over the investigation, with a view toward prosecution. Minister Buah’s decision to escalate the matter at the highest levels of government underscores the seriousness with which the administration now regards illegal mining and environmental degradation.
The developments are likely to send ripples through the political establishment, particularly as Antwi-Boasiako remains a powerful figure within the NPP. Until the party’s loss in the 2024 elections, Wontumi was widely seen as politically untouchable — a perception that may no longer hold in the current legal climate.
The case also raises broader questions about governance, accountability, and the enforcement of environmental protections in Ghana. With forests under increasing threat from illegal mining and logging, civil society groups have long called for a firmer regulatory stance — and, crucially, for equal application of the law.
As the investigation unfolds, all eyes will be on the legal institutions tasked with enforcing the sanctions and holding those responsible to account. For now, the era of selective enforcement appears to be waning — and with it, the unchecked power of political elites over public lands.
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