Prophet Kofi Oduro, the Founder and Leader of Alabaster International Ministries, has voiced his discontent regarding the sentencing of Bernard Antwi Boasiako, known as Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He expressed concern that Wontumi’s 20-year prison term does not serve the best interests of the nation, pointing out that the government will be burdened with the responsibility of covering his feeding and welfare expenses throughout his incarceration, which comes at the cost of taxpayer money.
Instead, Prophet Oduro suggests that Wontumi should have been allowed to repay any damages to the state as an alternative to serving such an extensive sentence. In a sermon that resonated with his congregation and was shared on social media, he articulated that there should have been other options available rather than prolonged imprisonment.
“What is the use of Wontumi being in prison for 20 years? We should have given that guy options, 20 years or 10 billion dollars payback. What is the sense of Wontumi being in Nsawam Prison? He would definitely choose the latter.
“Now that he is in Nsawam for 20 years, what is the sense of it? He has offended the law, yes, but he should be given an option to pay back to reclaim the land. The judiciary should give the guy an option. Let him sell everything he has made to pay back, but for him to sit there while we waste money on him is nonsense,” he said.
The High Court in Accra on Monday, July 20, 2026, sentenced Wontumi to 20 years in prison for assigning mineral rights granted to his company, Akonta Mining Limited, to two persons, Michael Gyedu Ayisi and Henry Okum, without obtaining approval from the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources.
