Quite unfortunate, it shouldn’t have come from him – Kwabena Agyepong slams Akufo-Addo on Akonta Mines comments

New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer hopeful Kwabena Agyei Agyepong has lashed out at President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for wading into the controversy surrounding accusations against Akonta Mining Company Limited.

He described the President’s action as “unfortunate”.

Speaking in a one-on-one interview on TV3 on Saturday, January 7, the former Presidential Spokesperson said President Akufo-Addo should have left the response to his Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, for instance, to handle.

He points out that that is the structure of presidential politics, where the President wields executive powers to have the final say on such issues.

Mr Agyepong’s observation comes in the wake of remarks made by the President at the 28th National and 16th Biennial Congress of the National Union of Ghana Catholic Diocesan Priests Association held in Koforidua, Eastern Region.

President Akufo-Addo was responding to concerns raised by the chairperson of the occasion, Ing Dr Ken Ashigbey.

“Let me respond briefly to the chairperson on the issue of illegal mining. I want to assure him and all of you that Akonta Mining is not engaged in any illegal mining anywhere in Ghana as we speak.”

But the Lands Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, later defended the President and said the chairperson personally called on him to comment on the issue.