Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Jinapor, has cleared the air regarding some comments made by the former President, John Mahama, on the operations of Akonta Mining Company.
He revealed that he has read with utmost dismay, the Facebook post regarding the comments made by President Akufo-Addo in Eastern Region, when he addressed the 28th National and 16th Biennial Congress of the National Union of Catholic Diocesan Priests’ Association (NUCDPA).
Ordinarily, Mr Jinapor explained that he would have no need to respond to matters the former President posts on his Facebook page. But, due to the “gross misinformation and political spin” contained in the said post, as well as the attempt to disparage his integrity and that of the President in respect of this matter, he as Minister responsible for Lands and Natural Resources, deems it necessary to set the records straight.
“Sir, whilst I have the opportunity, permit me to assert, without a shred of equivocation that the record of President Akufo-Addo’s Government in the past six years of fighting corruption far surpasses the NDC’s eight-year record.”
Samuel Jinapor
The lands minister highlighted that it is needless to point out that President Akufo-Addo’s extraordinary funding of anti-corruption institutions, the establishment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, which is investigating the Akonta matter, the passage of the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), rapid investigations of allegations of corruption, and many more are testament to his remarkable record in the fight against corruption.
Mr Jinapor stated that his response to the former President will focus on the facts and will endeavor not to respond to the political spins contained in the post. He pointed out that the unimpeachable facts relating to the matter are that, sometime last year, there were allegations levelled against Akonta Mining Ltd that it was engaging in some mining activities in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.
Lands minister clarifies comments made by President Akufo-Addo
Although the company had applied for a mining lease over a portion of the Forest Reserve, he explained that the application had not yet been determined, to which he directed the Forestry Commission to investigate the matter and ensure that the Company does not carry out mining activities in the Forest.
Among others, Mr Jinapor revealed that the Forestry Commission moved in quickly and cleared the forest of all alleged illegal activities.
At the said Congress, Mr Jinapor noted that a specific question was asked by the Chairman of the occasion regarding illegal mining activities by Akonta Mining. To this, he admitted that the President in response stated categorically that “Akonta Mining is not engaged in any illegal mining anywhere in Ghana as we speak”.
“The President was speaking about the state of affairs at the time he made the comment, and went ahead to add that Government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Forestry Commission had, with the assistance of the military, cordoned off all Forest Reserves in the country, and rid them of illegal mining activities at the time he was speaking, and that Government was working to ensure that the situation remains permanent.”
Samuel Jinapor
The comments by the President, Mr Jinapor insisted, in no way relates to past or future activities of Akonta Mining and cannot, by any “shred of imagination, be deemed as exonerating the company from any past activities or interfering” with any ongoing investigations.
According to him, as it is public knowledge, the allegations of illegal mining by Akonta Mining Ltd are being investigated by state institutions responsible for such investigations, the Ghana Police Service and the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
“When I received the report from the investigations conducted by the Forestry Commission, pursuant to my directive, I forwarded the report to the Ghana Police Service, through the Minister for Interior, to assist them in their investigations. The Criminal Investigations Division (CID) of the Police Service has subsequently written to me requesting some further information, which I have provided.”
Samuel Jinapor
Mr Jinapor emphasized that the Office of the Special Prosecutor, in its Half Yearly Report dated 31st December 2022, also stated that the Office is currently investigating activities of Akonta Mining and other companies in respect of the said allegations.
To this end, he revealed that officials of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources are collaborating with these state institutions to conduct their investigations and take the necessary actions.
