Samreboi youth leader calls for wider crackdown on illegal mining, says conviction must not be an isolated case

The Public Relations Officer of the Samreboi Youth Association, Godwin Tweneboah, has urged authorities to extend the crackdown on illegal mining beyond the conviction of Akonta Mining owner and Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, warning that selective enforcement would do little to address the problem.

Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Tuesday (21 July), Tweneboah said residents of mining communities would judge the government’s commitment to fighting illegal mining by whether it pursued all those involved, regardless of their political affiliation or social standing.

“We don’t just prosecute one person and leave the other side,” Tweneboah said.

According to him, illegal mining remains widespread in and around Samreboi despite the landmark conviction, with some operators continuing to work openly while others have merely suspended their activities temporarily.

He argued that focusing public attention on a single high-profile prosecution risks creating the impression that the fight against illegal mining is politically motivated rather than a sustained effort to enforce the law.

“There are many people involved in these activities. If we are serious about protecting our environment, then everybody who has broken the law must be investigated and prosecuted,” he said.

Tweneboah noted that communities living close to mining sites often know the identities of individuals financing and operating illegal mining ventures and therefore expect security agencies to act on available intelligence.

He said residents would welcome a comprehensive enforcement campaign that targets not only miners on the ground but also concession holders, financiers and other individuals who facilitate illegal mining operations.

“The law must work for everybody. It should not matter whether you are influential or not. Once you have engaged in illegal mining, you should face the consequences,” he said.

Tweneboah further called for sustained monitoring of mining concessions and stronger collaboration between regulatory agencies, traditional authorities and local communities to prevent illegal mining from resurging after high-profile prosecutions.

He maintained that communities such as Samreboi had borne the environmental and economic costs of illegal mining for years and wanted to see lasting reforms rather than one-off enforcement actions.

“We want this to mark the beginning of a new phase in the fight against illegal mining, not the end of it,” he said.

The High Court last week sentenced Wontumi to 20 years’ imprisonment after convicting him on offences related to illegal mining activities involving Akonta Mining. While the judgment has been hailed by environmental advocates as a significant milestone, community leaders say its true impact will depend on whether authorities pursue all those implicated in illegal mining and ensure that environmental laws are enforced consistently.