Ghana president fires junior finance minister over mining expose

A recent expose alleged that the minister had taken bribes from artisanal mine investors in the West African country.

Ghanaian President and Chairman of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Nana Akufo-Addo attends an extraordinary summit of ECOWAS to hear reports from recent missions to Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, following military coups in those countries, in Accra, Ghana
Ghanaian President and ECOWAS Chairman Nana Akufo-Addo at an extraordinary summit of ECOWAS in Accra, Ghana March 25, 2022 [Francis Kokoroko/Reuters]

Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has sacked Charles Adu Boahen, the minister of state for finance, the presidency said on Monday.

In a statement, the president said he had taken the action after being made aware of allegations levelled against Adu Boahen in an expose about small-scale gold mining.

It added that Akufo-Addo had also referred the matter to the special prosecutor for further investigations.

Adu Boahen did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

Artisanal mining is widespread in Ghana, Africa’s second-largest gold producer, and accounts for about one-third of the country’s production.  A recent expose by controversial journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas alleged that Boahen had taken bribes from artisanal mine investors to allow them to operate unimpeded.

Ghana’s finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta is also facing calls for dismissal from members of parliament who accuse him of corruption and economic mismanagement as the country faces its worst economic crisis in a generation.

On November 6, hundreds of protesters marched through the capital city Accra, calling for the resignation of President Nana Akufo-Addo amid an economic crisis that has seen fuel and food costs spiral to record levels.

Source: News Agencies