The Forestry Commission has hinted of its resolve to sanction any staff found culpable of aiding and abetting illegal mining activities in the country.
Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Kofi Armah Buah, during press conference on Monday 21, April 2025 revealed that some staff of the commission were colluding with illegal miners in destroying the environment.
Following the minister’s revealation, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Elikem Kotoku, said the commission will conduct further investigations in the claim and those found culpable will face the full regours of the law.
“Those officers who are complicit in any involvement in any illegal mining will be thoroughly investigated, and any other punitive action that has to be taken against them will be done so that things are done properly. As a commission, we only have to continue to work and abide by the ethics that are established by the institution, and anyone who acts contrary will have to be dealt with,” he stated.
The sector Minister during his presser ordered the revocation of the mining lease of Akonta Mining Company Ltd following revelations of the company’s deep involvement in illegal mining activities—commonly known as galamsey—within protected forest reserves.
He outlined findings from recent undercover investigations, which uncovered that Akonta Mining was operating unlawfully in forest reserves despite lacking the necessary permits.
According to the Minister, although Akonta Mining holds a license to operate off-reserve, the company had encroached on the Aboi and Tano Nimiri Forest Reserves in the Western North Region.
The investigations further revealed that Akonta Mining had been selling access to these reserves to illegal miners for as much as GHS 300,000 per concession. In return, some of these miners allegedly paid weekly royalties in gold, up to 250 grams, to the company.
