Galamsey report: 'I've resolved not to talk about that man' - NPP MP slams Prof. Frimpong-Boateng

Member of Parliament (MP) of Bortianor-Ngleshie Amanfro, Sylvester Tetteh has descended heavily on the former Minister for Environment and chairman of the erstwhile Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Prof. Frimpong-Boateng over his report indicting some government officials of their involvement in galamsey.

Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng has accused the information minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, of masterminding a plot to bring him down and other officials at the Jubilee House for actively engaging in the galamsey menace.

“Throughout our struggle with illegalities in the small-scale mining sector, what baffled me was the total disregard of the President’s commitment to protect the environment. I can state without any equivocation that many party officials from the National to the unit committee level had their friends, PAs, agents, relatives, financiers or relatives engaged in illegal mining.

“Most of them engaged Chinese working for them. I am not referring to party people who had their legitimate concession and were mining sustainably as they were instructed to do. There are appointees in the Jubilee House that are doing or supporting illegal mining or interfering with the fight against the menace,” parts of the report said.

But Hon. Sylvester Tetteh has rubbished the report saying he doubts the genuineness of the claims made by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng.

To him, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng feels "he is the only professor in this country" and adds he believes the latter is making such claims because he wasn't reappointed.

The MP also disclosed that the Chief of Staff demanded a report from the Committee as a whole, not statements from an individual, to be submitted to her office but Prof. Frimpong-Boateng ignored his 10-member Committee to present his own report, therefore blindsiding his colleagues who were on the Committee.

Further assessing the report, Hon. Sylvester Tetteh concluded that the posture of Prof. Frimpong-Boateng tells that "he didn't write this report with a good intention".

He also stated that Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng is guilty of the allegations he has leveled against his accused persons as he asked "have you not picked a phone to call someone to intervene on behalf of a person you know who calls for help because he is in trouble?"

"So, if I pick my phone and call someone to plead on behalf of another person I know who wants my help, does that amount to obstruction?... how many times has a driver not been arrested and we, politicians, or prominent persons in society not called the police officer? Does that amount to obstruction?" he asked.

"When you read this report, it has no basis. He (Frimpong-Boateng) has seen that the fight against galamsey has become sensational, so he just wants to fan the flame," he added.

Hon. Sylvester Tetteh also disclosed that he has personal issues with Prof. Frimpong-Boateng regarding his work while in office.

"I've resolved not to talk about that man. I have my personal issues with him. Apart from personal, it borders on the work he was given."

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