Former Tamale Central Member of Parliament and former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Inusah Fuseini, says he has no sympathy for Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, following the Ashanti Regional New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman’s conviction over illegal mining-related offences.
Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News on Monday, July 20, Mr. Fuseini said the environmental destruction caused by illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, has had devastating consequences for communities across Ghana, particularly farmers and fishermen who depend on the country’s natural resources for their livelihoods.
He lamented the pollution of rivers and streams by illegal mining activities, saying the destruction of water bodies has made it difficult for many rural communities to access clean water for drinking, cooking, and farming.
“You need to see what galamsey is doing to this country. People are becoming poorer. Farmers who are not engaged in galamsey are becoming poorer because, hitherto, they used to go to their farms and fetch water from streams and rivers to drink and cook. Now, they cannot do that,” Mr. Fuseini stated.
The former Lands Minister said Chairman Wontumi’s conviction should not come as a surprise, arguing that previous actions linked to illegal mining had gone unpunished.
“I have no sympathy for Wontumi. What did he do? He displayed the gold that he won from small-scale mining or his illegal activity on TV, and nothing happened. Nothing, absolutely nothing happened in this country,” he said.
Mr. Fuseini’s comments come after the Accra High Court convicted Chairman Wontumi and Akonta Mining Limited for unlawfully assigning mineral rights without the approval of the Minister responsible for Lands and Natural Resources and for facilitating illegal mining activities on the company’s concession at Samreboi in the Western Region.
Chairman Wontumi was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment on two counts, with the sentences to run concurrently. Akonta Mining Limited was also fined 15,000 penalty units on each of the two counts.
