The Minority in Parliament is demanding the arrest of Gabby Otchere-Darko and all government appointees cited in the Professor Frimpong-Boateng ‘galamsey report.’
The Caucus noted that if the government wants to demonstrate seriousness in the fight against galamsey, it must go beyond the arrest of Prof. Frimpong-Boateng.
According to the Caucus, President Akufo-Addo’s cousin along with Director of Operations Lord Commey and Hon. Joseph Quarm should have been cited by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) report.
At a press conference addressed by Ranking Member of the Lands and Forestry Committee in Parliament, Hon. Rashid Pelpuo on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, the Minority expressed at the arrest of Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, former Minister of Environment Science and Technology.
“We find the arrest awkward and unimpressive because rather than working with Prof Boateng to get to the roots of the problem, he is seen as a culprit rather than an informant.”
“It creates the impression that this arrest is meant to cloud the accusation of Government involvement either directly or through its appointed officials in the destructive illegal mining practices that are completely destroying our rivers and our forest reserves and farmlands.”
Mr. Rashid Pelpuo indicated following the revelation of the IMCIM report and the alleged involvement of key NPP functionaries, the Minority requested a formal probe into the report.
According to him, to date, the side does not know how far the government has gone with the request, “Except for the brazen arrest of a man who threw all he has to reveal the hidden truth in the Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal mining illegal.”
He averred a public inquiry on the Committee report and the damage to the country’s forest reserves is necessary, especially with the now wider destruction of lands and rivers by galamsey operators.
“It is unthinkable that the state including all its resources, its lands, rivers, money, and people are left to an elected government to manage and it turns out that, the government itself is a key sponsor of the destruction and misuse of these resources.”
“Our cocoa farms are diminishing, our people are drinking mercury-polluted water, our rivers are dying and our forest reserves are destroyed on a daily basis.”
“We can’t sit down for the corruption and destruction of our lands to go,” he stressed, quoting Prof. Frimpong Boateng.
The Minority in addition to calls for a public inquiry also outlined some demands to the government in support of the Eco-Conscious Citizens of Ghana.
These include calls for the revocation of Executive Instrument (E.I) 144 Forests (Cessation of Forest Reserve) Instrument 2022, which he said will remove 361.50 acres of forest from Achimota Forest Reserve, the lungs of Accra.
Pausing all Community Mining, Revoking section 3(2) of Environmental Protection (Mining In Forest Reserves) Regulations 2022 Legislative Instrument ( L.I.) 2462 which enables the President to allow mining in a globally significant biodiversity area in “the national interest”.
Holding the directors of Akonta Mining accountable for allegedly destroying portions of the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve and ensuring the company restores areas they destroyed.
And Taking action on JoyNews’ documentary ‘Gold For Destruction’, which proves direct government involvement and where military men were protecting illegal miners gleefully destroying the environment.