The Chief Who Exposed Sir John, Wontumi

Tongues are wagging in the Ashanti region over allegations of the Chief Executive of the Ghana Forestry Commission Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie and Ashanti regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party Bernard Antwi Boasiako are into Galamsey.

The news which broke during a visit of the Minister for Chieftaincy Affairs to Chiefs of the Amansie area in the Ashanti region came as a shock to many Ghanaians has gained a lot of air space inspite of the many equally newsworthy items in the country during the period.

Chiefs of the Amansie area expressed bitterness that in spite of government's rage and several commentaries about the illegality of mining in Forest reserves and Water bodies, one appointee and a known regional chairman could join the illegal miners now that they are in power.

The Aprampram forest which according to chiefs in the area was mined by people being supported by the NDC for just a few weeks to the end of 2016, has suffered further degradation due to what Sir John and his Chinese friends are doing in the forest.

They indicated that illegal mining is so rife in the area that the Kobro forest reserve has been christened as Nana Akufo Addo galamsey site hence nobody should there, further alleging that even the Member of Parliament for Amansie Central Emmanuel Akwasi Gyamfi was once turned away.

The allegations from the chief confirm similar leads picked up by Today few months back from indigenes of Jacobu who were furious about the 'unpatriotic acts of Sir John'.

However the Municipal Chief Executive Officer for Amansie Central Hon Asamoah Boateng denied the allegation from his own people in a telephone interview with this reporter. “You know I am also a chief of this area and will not allow anybody to come and destroy our forest, so I won't tell lies that Sir John is mining in the forest”. He defended.

All the time he was defending, people of the area claimed there were not less than 60 excavators in the forest and the area had been declared a no go zone for indigenes including even their MP, so the DCE could not be truthful if he denied the illegal acts of Sir John and Chairman Wontumi.

Meanwhile indigenes of the area have always been lamenting about the numerous threats of life they receive as soon as they speak on radio. One of them who gave his name as Malik told this reporter in an interview that 'as soon as you grant any interview on radio the site manager will come to your house and threaten you with death'.

Many people after hearing the allegations from the Amansie chiefs have called on the president to, as a matter of respect for the people of the area, and Ghana for that matter call Sir John and chairman Wontumi to order.

Some of them, known NPP members who pleaded anonymity told this paper that the act by Sir John and chairman Wontumi has greatly embarrassed the president and his minister who have been fighting illegal mining since they assumed power, and want to see the president take immediate steps to discipline them.