Illegal mining: Prosecute owners of Akonta mining – Catholic Bishops Conference to government

Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference has in a communique issued after their plenary assembly in Donkokrom, Eastern region called on government to go after financiers behind illegal mining.

According to the Bishops Conference, financiers behind the menace are chiefs, politicians, Regional Ministers, MMDCEs, and security personnel, among others hence the difficulty stopping the menace and prosecuting perpetrators.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference, therefore, joined calls for the arrest of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party Bernard Antwi Bosiako alias chairman Wontumi owner of Akonta mining Limited for illegal mining in Forest reserve.

“We urge the relevant agencies responsible for the protection and preservation of our natural resources to ensure the prosecution of the financiers of activities that result in major crises facing the country such as illegal Mining (Galamsey).

“One critical example is the call for prosecution of the owners of Akonta mining Limited, among others who have been accused by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, confirmed by the Minerals Commission and reported in the media”.

They also cautioned against plans to begin mining in the Volta and Oti regions next year by government to avert the spread of the scourge of illegal mining to the regions.

The Bishops Conference wants a moratorium placed on new mining licenses in the country for the proper streamlining of the industry.

On the current economic crises in the country, the Ghana Catholic Bishops conference recommended a significant reduction in the size of government, government expenditure as well as Presidential and ministerial convoys.

They also charged government to aggressively act on Auditor General’s report to retrieve all alleged stolen monies, all as part of a committment towards burden-sharing in the current economic crises.