Ashanti Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Bosiako says he has never in his life been engaged in illegal mining popularly known as galamsey.
He indicated that, as a good citizen of the land, he will never engage in an act that will destroy the natural resources of the country.
Chairman Wontumi as he is popularly called disclosed this on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Monday in response to claims that he used funds from illegal mining to sponsor his political party’s campaign.
Some members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) cited him as part of politicians hiding behind innocent unemployment youth to destroy the environment.
They argued that the only the Akufo-Addo government can stop galamsey is by starting from its own party to serve as an example to others.
But Chairman Wontumi in response said the NDC members accusing him of doing galamsey are only “jealous of me”
He explained that, he had the license to engage in small-scale and large-scale mining until then erstwhile Mills-Mahama administration destroyed his mining equipment.
The Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman who was the Managing Director of HANSOL Mining Limited noted that the inter-ministerial taskforce set up to clamp down on illegal mining activities by then NDC government deliberately invaded his office and set his mining machines ablaze even though his business was legally registered and was operating within the mining laws of Ghana.
“I’m not surprised the NDC is accusing me of doing galamsey, they push me out of business after they set all my mining machines ablaze. They are just jealous of me” he stated.
Chairman Wontimi added that there is a clear distinction between legal small-scale miners and galamsey operators, therefore, it is unfair to lump the two together.
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