MP for Aowin Constituency, Oscar Ofori Larbi
The Aowin Traditional Council has accused the Member of Parliament for the area, Oscar Ofori Larbi, of engaging in illegal mining operations within the Tano Anwia Forest Reserve.
During a press conference on Monday, January 27, 2024, the traditional council called on stakeholders to rally around efforts to cease the destruction of Ghana’s forest reserves.
The chiefs also called on the Minister-Designate for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, to protect the Tano Anwia Forest Reserve, which illegal miners have ravaged despite a ban imposed on such activities by the traditional council.
The chiefs accused the MP of allegedly forming a galamsey squad and transporting thugs into the area to engage in illegal mining activities.
“When Nana heard about the issue, we called Larbi, but he didn’t show up. Instead, KED, his special assistant, came to the palace and told us that the individuals engaging in illegal activities in the forest were operating with Larbi’s authority and power.
“He revealed that the squad formed by the MP was responsible for the destruction, and whenever confronted, they would claim to be working for or on behalf of Larbi,” noted Nana Ntow, Chief of Nkwanta, who spoke on behalf of the Aowin Traditional Council.
The council noted that several attempts to engage with the MP, Oscar Ofori Larbi, had been ignored. This situation prompted the chiefs to fall on the regional executives of the National Democratic Congress.
“As we speak, Larbi has not honoured our call. Nananom engaged diplomatically with the regional executives of the NDC to call Larbi to order, but he abused them! He collected a GHS200,000 entry fee for groups to enter our forest reserves. Consequently, Nananom had no choice but to write to the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference on January 20, 2025, to help appeal to the government to stop Larbi and his gang,” stated Nana Opayin II, the Tufuhene of the Enchi Traditional Council.
“We appeal to the IGP to commence investigations into Larbi’s acts, evidence of which shall be provided by Nananom. We need a collective effort from the government through the Forestry Commission, the media, and the security services to stem the tide of blatant destruction of the Aowin Forest Reserve, which is detrimental to the survival of not just Aowin but Ghana,” he added.
Meanwhile, the MP, in response to the allegations, has labelled the claims by the Aowin Traditional Council as palpable falsehoods.
“Every single allegation against me is completely false and baseless. This is a deliberate attempt to tarnish my reputation. The claim that I’ve brought northerners to engage in galamsey is particularly surprising, given that these individuals are actually party members who were introduced to the illegal mining task force by the traditional authorities themselves.”
“I’m shocked by these accusations, especially since I took proactive steps to combat illegal mining in the area. On January 12, I brought in military personnel from the 2nd Infantry Battalion to evict all illegal miners from the forest reserve. The operation took place from January 14 to 17.”
“It’s implausible that the alleged destruction of the forest reserve could have occurred between January 17 and now, especially given the recent military intervention. I’m confident that I will be vindicated once the facts come to light,” he stated during an interview on TV3.
On the claim of ignoring calls from the chiefs, the MP said, “I didn’t ignore the Traditional Council’s call. At the time, I was attending to a personal matter at the Enchi Government Hospital, and they were aware of it. They delegated Nana Tando, one of the chiefs, to meet with me once I recovered.
“However, by the time I was well enough, Nana Tando had travelled to Accra. When I arrived in Accra, he returned to Enchi. I intend to respond to their call through Nana Tando. My absence is not a deliberate disregard for their summons but rather a result of my busy schedule and the circumstances,” he added.
GA/EK
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