National House of Chiefs denies publication on comments about Wontumi

The National House of Chiefs has described as false some media publications attributed to the President of the House, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, during an engagement of the House with the President Nana Akufo-Addo.

The false publications, which is being circulated on social and traditional media according to the House, quotes Ogyeahoho Gyebi to have purportedly said that “anyone who claim to have evidence of galamsey operations being carried out by Mr Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), the Ashanti regional chairman of the NPP, should provide evidence”.

A statement signed by Mr Stephen Owusu, Public Relations Officer, and issued in Kumasi, said the publications were mischievous and calculated attempts by some faceless people to twist what the President of the House said during the engagement with Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

It said during the meeting, which was held at the conference room of the House at Manhyia in Kumasi, Ogyeahoho stated the negative effects of illegal mining on the environment, especially on water bodies, farmlands and cocoa production in the country.

The statement said Ogyeahoho called on the government to apply the appropriate sanctions against any persons, who were found to engage in illegal mining irrespective of their status in society.

“It is therefore preposterous for the media to have twisted their publication with the House’s engagement with the President of the Republic”, it stated.

The statement called on anyone who has concrete proof of information being attributed to Ogyeahoho Gyebi to hand it over to the registrar of the House or make it public.

It called on whoever is circulating that false information to stop and apologize to the President of the House.

Source: GNA