The Ashanti Regional Communications Director for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Paul Andoh, has called on party members to stand in solidarity with Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
This appeal comes after the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, revoked the mining license of Akonta Mining Company, linked to Chairman Wontumi, citing alleged involvement in illegal mining activities.
Speaking on Wontumi TV, Andoh emphasized that the party should not remain silent in the face of what he described as “intimidation and oppressors’ rule” by the government.
“We shouldn’t keep quiet just because it’s Chairman Wontumi. Let’s all rise and speak against this. When this happens, we will resist the oppressors’ rule,” he stated.
Andoh added that the party should unite to support its chairman, warning that those who might be rejoicing due to internal party politics should remember that “what is good for the goose is good for the gander.” He also mentioned that Chairman Wontumi’s bank accounts have been frozen, describing the situation as “insane.”
The Minister’s directive to revoke the mining lease followed an intelligence-led operation that resulted in the arrest of 51 illegal miners and the confiscation of 30 excavators and other equipment. The government cited contravention of the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995), as the reason for the revocation.