The Minerals Commission has refuted claims by Akonta Mining Limited that it possesses a valid mining lease outside the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve, labeling the company’s activities as illegal. The clarification follows a 21 April 2025 press conference by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, where the company was accused of operating unlawfully within the forest reserve.
According to the Commission, Akonta was granted a reconnaissance licence over a 135.87 square kilometre area in Samreboi in 2011, which expired in June 2012. This was followed by a two-year prospecting licence ending in 2014. Although the company later secured three mining leases in 2021 for areas outside the forest reserve, the Commission stressed that these leases have not been ratified and the company lacks environmental and operating permits.
The Commission emphasized that Akonta’s application for a mining lease within the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve, submitted on 25 August 2022, was not approved or signed by the then Minister. As such, the company does not possess any valid lease, permit, or authorization to operate in the forest. Read Also: Okaikwei NPP Executive Assaulted After Dispute
Security officials who investigated the matter discovered Akonta agents working within the forest reserve, in an area for which the company had only submitted an unapproved application. The Commission reiterated that any mining activity without full legal authorizations—including a ratified lease, environmental and operating permits, and a forest entry permit—is illegal.
The Minerals Commission reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the law and protecting Ghana’s forest reserves from unlawful exploitation. http://dailydemocratnewsonline.com
