The Ashanti Regional Chairman for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako Chairman Wontumi has said his only engages in legal mining.
According to him, he will not do things to destroy the environment to bring the name his party into disrepute.
“I won’t do things to hurt my company; I won’t do things to hurt this party (NPP). In 2017, I could have easily moved to the site to work but I waited till I got the license before beginning my operations”, Chairman Wontumi said.
He also debunked claims that, he is engaging in illegal mining (galamsey) in the Nimri Forest Reserve.
The NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman explained that, he has applied for lease to have authority to mine in the Nimiri Forest on large scale.
“If someone wants to do galamsey, would the person apply for lease? You can’t go to the police if you want to engage in a criminal activity” he fumed.
Chairman Wontumi likened his stance in the issue to a man who has expressed interest in marrying a woman and doing everything legal to protect her from another man.
“It is like a man who has gone in for a woman and visited her family to perform the knocking ceremony. If another guy wants to rape the lady you have expressed interest in, won’t you protect your lady? I have the gazette and this is law and if galamsey operators want to destroy my site, shouldn’t I protect the place?” he quizzed.
Chairman Wontumi added that, he has gone through all the processes to acquire the lease and is only waiting for an approval from the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor.
