Member of Parliament for Afigya Kwabre North Constituency, Collins Adomako Mensah, says the fight against illegal mining (galamsey) has been characterized by political sentiments.
This, according to him, is defeating the effort of the day and making the menace linger on.
While reacting to the 37-page report on galamsey authored by Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, the former chairman of the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana on Wednesday, 26th April 2023, Mr. Adomako Mensah said the content of the document had been carefully selected, singling out names of NPP members just to subject them to attacks.
“Interestingly, in the press conference [referring to the Truth Forum held by the NDC on Tuesday], they zoomed in on the NPP MPs’ names who were mentioned. But they, interestingly sidelined or ignored the other aspects of the report that also talked about NDC [faithful] who are involved in the galamsey,” Mr. Adomako Mensah said.
He also emphasized that such unhealthy discussions and blame games hinder the progress of the fight against galamsey, adding that both parties would want to refute allegations leveled against them while the real destructors will continue wreaking havoc.
“And so, you realize that when an NPP person comes out to respond, it will be a counter-response to the press conference and then, the main people who are involved in the galamsey are happy,” he said.
The governing NPP lawmaker wants the blame game between the two political parties truncated and efforts channeled to halt the menace for the good of the country.
Collins Adomako Mensah also reiterated his stance that galamsey culprits should face the music.
“I don’t sympathize with any galamsey person, irrespective of your stature in my party, your stature in our society, what is wrong is wrong,” the Afigya Kwabre North MP noted.
He further lashed out at private mining companies using the military to shield illegal miners.
Meanwhile, the host of the Good Morning Ghana show, Dr. Randy Abbey, has questioned President Akufo-Addo’s handling of the report which was originally presented to the Chief of Staff Frema Opare on March 19, 2021.
He asserts that the report offered Akufo-Addo who has put his presidency on the line to eradicate illegal mining which has destroyed many water bodies in the country an opportunity to demonstrate his declaration was not a mere rhetoric.
Presidency’s Response to Frimpong-Boateng’s Report
The Office of the President has dismissed claims made by former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, and Chairperson of the erstwhile Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, in a report on illegal small-scale mining.
According to the Presidency, the claims in the report are a catalogue of grievances of Prof. Frimpong-Boateng and could best be described as hearsay.
The Presidency also described the document as not being an official report before Cabinet as it was submitted in an informal way.
“At the outset, it must be pointed out that the document being discussed was not an official report formally delivered to the Office of the President. On the contrary, it can only be rightly referred to as a catalogue of personal grievances and claims made by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, intended to respond to some issues he faced as Chairperson of the IMCIM.”
By Leonora Enyonam Annoh | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
