There were severe false claims made by former President John Mahama about the mining operations of Akonta Mines.
During the 2024 manifesto launch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Winneba in the Central region, Mr. Mahama didn’t stick to factual statements when he spoke on the operations of Akonta Mining Ltd at Samreboi.
The 2024 flagbearer of the NDC is on record to have said “If I’m elected as the president of Ghana after December 7, 2024, I will drive all those mining in forest zones, including Akonta Mining, out of these areas,” Mahama declared. “They should start packing before we come after them,” he said.
Below is a fact check of his claims.
Akonta Mining Ltd is owned by Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako popularly known as Chairman Wontumi and is Ghana’s first mercury free gold mining plant.
Interestingly, it was granted a license to operate in 2011 and 2012 respectively when Mr. Mahama was President of Ghana.
Before Akonta mining started operating at Samreboi, their concession was originally occupied by galamseyers and they (galamseyers) left several pits behind.
Akonta mining reported the issue to the police, and equipment that were left in the forest by the galamseyers, were packed as evidence.
The land has been reclaimed at the cost of Akonta Mining Ltd, with some part of the pits converted into a pond as part of the mining firm’s washing plants which include Mercury free equipment.
In a letter dated 7th September, 2021, lawyers for Akonta Mining Limited wrote to lawyers for Samartex indicating to them that Akonta Mining Limited has acquired a mineral easement which entitles it to enter upon the subject area to carry out its business within the confines of the laws of the Republic.
A portion of the letter read “From the instructions, our Client has not done any excavation work near the airstrip save that it had wanted to establish a temporal processing plant on that portion as alleged, when your client raised a concern based on proximity which our Client obliged.”
“We hold a respectful opinion that since the parties to this matter hold different rights to the land, that is mineral and timber, it would be in the interest of the parties to sit down for amicable resolution for their respective mutual benefits than the threats being issued since both rights are recognized under the law.”
It is therefore false for Mr. John Mahama to claim that the mining operations of Akonta Mining Ltd is having an effect in the forest zone.
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