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The minority caucus in parliament has requested that the government arrange the arrest of Mr. Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, President Nana Akufo-Addo’s cousin; Mr. Lord Commey, the Jubilee House’s director of operations; and former MP Albert Quarm, all of whom were identified by Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng in his 37-page report on illegal mining as enablers of galamsey.
These people were charged with involvement in the galamsey scourge in the report.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining’s former chair, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, was recently detained by the special prosecutor’s office for alleged corruption-related offenses in connection with IMCIM-related activities.
At a news conference led by Dr. Rashid Pelpuo, Ranking Member, Committee on Lands and Forestry, the minority caucus stated that everyone identified in the report needs to be detained and interrogated in response to the arrest of the renowned heart surgeon.
“We believe that if the government wants to demonstrate seriousness in the fight against galamsey it must go beyond the arrest of Prof Frimpong-Boateng”, Dr Pelpuo said.
“It should go wider by ensuring the arrest of government appointees at the Jubilee House heart, Mr Gabby Ochere-Darko, the president’s cousin and the director of operations, Mr Lord Commey, including Hon Joseph Albert Quarm, who have been cited by the IMCIM”.
“It is our opinion that a public enquiry on the Committee report and damage to our forest reserves is necessary especially with the now wider destruction of our lands and rivers by galamsey operators. It is unthinkable that the state including all its resources, it’s 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 daily basis. According to Hon Frimpong-Boateng after he had been bailed from an unnecessary arrest “we can’t sit down for the corruption and destruction of our lands to go”.
Read the statement below:
Read the minority caucus’ full press statement below:
Press Conference on the Involvement of Government Officials in Illegal Mining and need to set up a Public Enquiry on the Report of the IMCIM Report by the Minority Members of Parliament Presented by Hon Dr Rashid Pelpuo, Ranking Member, Committee on Lands and Forestry
12th June 2023
A few days ago, we heard news about the arrest of Prof Frimpong-Boateng, the Nana Akufo-Addo’s 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 farm lands.
In April this year, in response to the revelation from the report on the Inter Ministerial Committee and the involvement of key NPP functionaries in galamsey operations, we did a press conference to request an investigation into the report.
To date, we do not know how far the government has gone in this 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.
We believe that if government wants to demonstrate seriousness in the fight against galamsey it must go beyond the arrest of Prof Frimpong-Boateng.
It should go wider by ensuring the arrest of government appointees at the Jubilee House heart, Mr Gabby Ochery-Darko, the President’s Cousin and the Director of operations, Mr Lord Commey including Hon Joseph Albert Quarm who have been cited by the IMCIL.
Contrary to expectation, this year the Minister issued a statement stating that the integrity of Ghana’s forest reserve is maintained. From our findings this is a mockery of the facts on the ground given the extensive damage in our forest reserves such as what happens in Krokosua, Sui River, Tano Suraw Extension, Afao Hills, Upper Wassaw, Anhwiaso West and East, Supuma Shelterbelt, Tano Offin, and Denyau Shelterbelt all appear to be lacking ecological integrity due to extensive damage.
Further, in mid-January, forest sites Denyau Site 1,2 and 3, Supoma Site 1 and 2, Ntakem 1 and 2, and forest reserves of Numereso, Bepo Tintin, Kubi, Watreso, Adamso, Bunsu, Brechakrom, Amponuase, Apapraman, Hiayeya, Pomposo were all reported to be live galamsey sites.
It is our opinion that a public enquiry on the Committee report and damage to our forest reserves is necessary especially with the now wider destruction of our lands and rivers by galamsey operators. It is unthinkable that the state including all its resources, it’s 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 daily basis. According to Hon Frimpong-Boateng after he had been bailed from an unnecessary arrest “we can’t sit down for the corruption and destruction of our lands to go.
Ladies and gentlemen in addition to calling on the government to institute a public enquiry we wish to also team up with the Eco Conscious citizens of Ghana to reiterate these points which had already been sent to government:
- Revoke the Executive Instrument (E.I.) 144 Forests (Cessation of Forest Reserve) Instrument 2022. The E.I in operation will removes 361.50 acres of forest from Achimota Forest Reserve, the lungs of Accra.
Ladies and gentlemen existing forests all over the country must be preserved if indeed we seek to demonstrate our commitment to restoring the destroyed environment and to promote Green Ghana as a key climate change policy. As we have often said we cannot with one hand destroy portions of our existing forest reserves and with the other hand purport to green Ghana.
- Pausing Community Mining.
Community mining has become a source of destruction of our environment just like any galamsey operation. Given the fact that we have not developed an adequate monitoring and enforcement regime it makes it almost impossible to effectively monitor the numerous community mining operatives and the harm going on in the environment.
It is for this reason we support activists in Mantukwa, Sefwi Atronsu and Apaitaim, to name a few say No to 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”.
Mining in a globally significant biodiversity area will destroy the eco-system on which living species depend and cannot be 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.
- 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.
We thank you for your attention and cooperation.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
