Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has praised Lands Minister Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah for revoking the mining lease of Akonta Mining Company Ltd., describing the decision as a bold and commendable step in the fight against illegal mining.
Kpebu, who previously petitioned the Inspector General of Police to investigate Akonta Mining for operations in the Tano Nimri Forest, said the lease revocation marked a major shift.
“We just hope this is the last. Even the revocation alone is far-reaching,” he said on TV3’s New Day on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
He urged the Minister to pursue full-scale investigations and ensure that prosecutions follow. “Let the prosecutions flow. Setting an example with Chairman Wontumi will send a chilling effect to others. It appears Wontumi is invincible,” he added.
Kpebu also suggested the move wouldn’t have been possible under the previous administration.
“If we hadn’t changed government, would Akufo-Addo have revoked Wontumi’s license, given how much support he gave Akonta Mining?” he questioned.
At a press briefing on Monday, April 21, Minister Armah-Kofi Buah revealed what he called a “well-organized criminal syndicate” operating under Akonta Mining. While the company held legal rights to off-reserve mining, it was found to have illegally encroached on protected forest reserves in the Samreboi area of the Western North Region.
According to the Minister, the company sold access to concessions in the Aboi Forest Reserve for GHC 300,000 each, collected gold royalties weekly from illegal miners, and shielded their activities from authorities — all contributing to widespread environmental destruction, including the Tano River.
A Good Friday intelligence-led operation resulted in the arrest of 51 individuals, including eight Chinese nationals. Authorities also seized 30 excavators, weapons, vehicles, and other mining equipment.
