Former President John Mahama is livid over President Akufo-Addo’s seeming exoneration of Akonta Mining Limited for allegedly engaging in mining. The former President is particularly unhappy this happened when there is an ongoing probe by the Office of Special Prosecutor.
The former President in a Facebook post on Tuesday, January 10, said, “It is unacceptable that President Nana Akufo-Addo has consistently put pressure on state anti-corruption institutions by announcing clearance of appointees and companies that are under investigation for wrongdoing.”
Nana Addo said the firm, owned by the Ashanti Regional Chair of the NPP, is not engaged in illegal mining.
While many have condemned the comment, the Lands Minister says the comment was in reference to the current situation. According to him, the presidential was not referring to the company’s previous activities, and the comment is nit prejudicial.
The NDC Flagbearer for election 2020 says the “penchant by the president to absolve his appointees and other close associates of any wrongdoing as he has done with the ongoing investigations into the operations of Akonta Mining Company is a serious dent on the already deteriorating image of the Office of the President.”
Background
Akonta Mining has been accused of mining in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the Western Region illegally. The Lands Ministry haddirected the Forestry Commission to ensure the company doesn’t carry out any operation in the forest.
It also asked the Commission to take the necessary action against any person found culpable. This was after it pronounced all activities being undertaken by the company in the Forest Reserve as illegal.
Government said the company only had a lease to undertake mining operations in some parts of Samreboi. It however added that it did not have mineral right to undertake any operation in the Tano Nimiri forest reserve.
But President Akufo has stated firmly that the company is not engaged in illegal mining.
He spoke at the 28th National and 16th Biennial Congress of the National Union of Ghana Catholic Diocesan Priests Association.
“I want to assure you all that Akonta Mining is not engaged in any form of illegal mining anywhere in Ghana as we speak.”
Mr. John Mahama said, “As though proud of that dishonourable badge, ‘the clearing agent’, Nana Akufo-Addo has yet again justified the appropriateness of his nickname with the seeming presidential exoneration of Akonta Mining, a company owned by a member of his political party (NPP) and accused of illegal gold mining in the country’s forest reserves.”
The shocking impudence is how and when he even did that at a public event called by the country’s catholic clergy.
Mr. Mahama said such acts fly in the face of justice and the fight against corruption. He urged all citizens to support anti-corruption institutions to carry out their duties fairly and courageously.
