Forest Invasion: Companies owned by Wontumi, Kumasi mayor & others scramble to mine in Ghana’s forest reserves

Kumasi Mayor Sam Pyne, who supported the government’s tree-planting campaign to promote environmental sustainability, is under scrutiny for applying to mine in a protected forest reserve.

His company, Sam & Gyan Limited, sought a mining lease in the Oda River Forest, despite the area's vulnerability to environmental destruction.

The Fourth Estate's investigation highlights political figures' involvement in mining concessions, raising concerns about the new law (LI 2462), which allows mining in protected areas.

Environmentalists argue that this threatens Ghana’s forests and question the law's legitimacy and the government's true intentions.