Fourth Estate Exposes Kumasi Mayor, Chairman Wontumi In Stinking Galamsey In Forest Reserves

An investigation by The Fourth Estate has revealed that Sam Pyne, Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), is involved in business activities threatening the survival of a forest reserve, despite his public stance on environmental sustainability. The probe shows that Sam Pyne’s company, Sam & Gyan Limited, applied for a lease to mine gold in the Oda River Forest Reserve in the Ashanti Region, just months after he publicly promoted tree planting efforts.

According to records from the Minerals Commission, Sam & Gyan Limited submitted the mining application in February 2023, four months after the government passed the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulation, LI 2462, which restricts mining activities in protected zones, including areas designated as Globally Significant Biodiversity Areas (GSBAs).

This revelation is particularly concerning as the Ashanti Region has been severely affected by illegal mining, with significant damage to its forest reserves, farmlands, and infrastructure.

The investigation also uncovered that Sam Pyne, a former Ashanti Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), holds joint ownership of Sam & Gyan Limited, along with his business partner, Ohene Amankwah Gyan, a radio presenter and legal counsel for the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation. The company, incorporated in 2017, has been granted a lease to mine in the Oda Forest Reserve until 2053.

This case is not isolated. Other companies linked to prominent NPP figures have also reportedly received mining concessions in forest reserves. Under LI 2462, the President has the power to approve mining in such areas if deemed in the national interest, a provision that has sparked concern over the increasing number of mining applications since the regulation was enacted.

The Fourth Estate further reported a spike in mining applications following the submission of the regulation to Parliament in 2022. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had already raised concerns in 2019 over a surge in forest entry permits issued by the Forestry Commission, highlighting a worrying trend in the exploitation of Ghana’s forest reserves.

As of August 2024, at least 25 companies have submitted 32 applications to mine or prospect in 24 forest reserves across the country.

Wontumi’s Involvement

The investigation also implicates Bernard Antwi Bosiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, in illegal mining activities. His Akonta Mining Company was found to be logging and mining illegally in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve, months before the government relaxed restrictions on mining in forest reserves in November 2022. The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources later declared Akonta Mining’s operations illegal.

Despite the controversy, Akonta Mining applied for a lease to mine in the same forest reserve shortly after the new regulations were enacted. The Office of the Special Prosecutor is currently investigating the allegations of illegal mining involving the company.

Chairman Wontumi also holds two additional active mining leases in the Amenfi District and a 50% stake in Akosdwomo Mining Limited, which has multiple mining and prospecting leases listed with the Minerals Commission.

As of now, neither Sam Pyne nor Chairman Wontumi has responded to the allegations.

Source: GhanaFeed.Com