Anti-galamsey campaigner alleges some reclamation contractors use illegal mining to fund restoration work
via GhanaWeb2 min read
Media personality and anti-galamsey campaigner Erastus Asare Donkor has raised concerns that some entities contracted by the Minerals Development Fund MDF to reclaim degraded lands are allegedly engaging in illegal mining to finance their restoration efforts. Speaking on Joy FM, Donkor claimed that these contractors are worsening environmental destruction in forest reserves, citing the Tinte Forest Reserve as an example where a contracted entity was reportedly caught conducting illegal mining. While supporting land reclamation, Donkor emphasized that contracts should be awarded to credible entities with proven experience in land restoration, rather than those who might further damage the environment under the guise of reclamation.
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The Controller and Accountant-General鈥檚 Department CAGD has refuted social media claims that the government has spent nearly GH垄11 billion on the Accra-Kumasi Expressway project. The CAGD explained that the transfer of funds from the Consolidated Fund to Accra-Kumasi Expressway Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle SPV established through the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund GIIF, represents a standard accounting procedure. This transfer is recorded as Grant Expenditure by the Central Government and as Grant Revenue by the receiving entity, which is classified as a State-Owned Enterprise SOE. The Department emphasized that the money, earmarked from the Annual Budget Funding Amount ABFA and mineral royalties, remains in a dedicated Bank of Ghana account and has not been used for construction or paid to contractors. The CAGD clarified that the ongoing right-of-way clearing by the Ghana Armed Forces is a separate, preparatory exercise not funded by these project-specific funds. The Department urged the public not to misinterpret the accounting entry as actual expenditure on construction, affirming that the process aligns with Ghana鈥檚 Public Financial Management framework and established government accounting standards.
The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has endorsed an innovative technology aimed at strengthening Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics STEM education. He described the STEM Education Mini Lab Project, presented by 3S Technology in partnership with Coderina EdTech, as a practical solution to simplify teaching and improve learning outcomes. The project, known as the Adwenpa Project, includes over 40 STEM learning modules aligned with the Ghana Education curriculum, housed in a self-contained Mini Lab. These modules are designed to support practical STEM education for students from Primary Four to Junior High School Form Three. Haruna Iddrisu noted that this innovation could make STEM subjects more engaging by allowing learners to experience scientific concepts practically. He tasked the Director of STEM Education at the Ghana Education Service GES, Madam Olivia Serwaa Opare, and the CEO of the Centre for Distance Learning and Open Schooling CENDLOS, Dr Diyawu Mumin, to compare existing STEM learning resources with the proposed Mini Lab Project to determine if current interventions need upgrading. Olivia Serwaa Opare highlighted the Ministry's previous investments in STEM education, including STEM Boxes and laboratory equipment, and stated that the Mini Lab Project could complement these efforts. A key feature of the project is a Virtual Reality System VRS that uses a 3D headset to provide an immersive learning experience, allowing students to explore concept
Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party NPP, has requested the High Court in Accra to refer specific provisions of the Minerals and Mining Act to the Supreme Court for interpretation. Mr. Antwi-Boasiako was accused of allegedly leasing his mining concession in Samreboi, Western Region, in violation of the Minerals and Mining Act. His counsel, Samuel Atta Akyea, argued that if the High Court, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvi-Tay, declines to refer the case to the Supreme Court, then his client should be acquitted and discharged. This argument was presented in a 50-page written address to the court, which is scheduled to deliver a judgment on July 20. Mr. Akyea seeks a Supreme Court determination on whether Section 141 of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 Act 703, which underpins some of the charges, is legally vague, overbroad, and inconsistent with Article 1911 of the 1992 Constitution, thus rendering it unconstitutional, null, and void. Mr. Antwi-Boasiako, who is also vying for the NPP National Chairman position, has pleaded not guilty to charges of assigning mineral rights without approval and purposely facilitating an unlicensed mining operation. The Office of the Attorney General filed criminal charges against Mr. Antwi-Boasiako, a shareholder of Akonta Mining, and Kwame Antwi, a director of the company. Mr. Antwi, a co-accused facing similar charges, is currently at large. Four witnesses were called by the prosecution to testify