The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has accused President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia of condoning and encouraging the destruction of the environment by illegal small-scale miners (Galamseyers).
He referred to the response of the presidency on the report on galamsey as the basis for his accusation against the President and the Vice.
President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Bawumai are “encouraging and condoning” destruction of the environment, he said during the NDC’s ‘Moment of Truth’ press encounter in Accra on Monday, October 16.
He stressed “Having meticulously analysed the content of the Attorney-General’s legal opinion, we have come to the irresistible conclusion that the said advice is nothing but a poor attempt to cover-up the complicity of officials of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government and the ruling NPP in the illicit galamsey trade.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the claims by Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame that there is no evidence to substantiate the damning revelations contained in the 36-page Frimpong Boateng galamsey report are simply false.
“The Attorney-General’s latest step or call it a misstep, on the subject of this all-important, scathing Galamsey report, is part of the coordinated efforts to whitewash the crimes of many in government since this matter first broke.”
It is recalled that the Presidency said that a document that was authored by the former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, and Chairperson of the erstwhile Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, which accused government appointees of their involvement in galamey, was not an official report formally delivered to the Office of the President.
On the contrary, the seat of government said, it could 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.
A statement issued by the Presidency on Saturday April 22 said the document was handed to the Chief of Staff at the Office of the President on March 19th 2021, in an informal meeting, where Prof. Frimpong-Boateng complained about public attacks and criticisms made about his tenure as Chairperson of the IMCIM.
This was after Prof. Frimpong-Boateng’s tenure as Minister had not been renewed by the President of the Republic in his second term.
“The document did not have a transmittal or cover letter nor, indeed, an addressee, such as to suggest that it was submitted to the Chief of Staff for action. It is noteworthy that the IMCIM was a creature of Cabinet, and any formal report on its activities would, normally, be submitted to Cabinet through the Cabinet Secretary, or directly to the President of the Republic as Chairperson of Cabinet. Till date, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng has done neither,” the statement said.
It added “It is important also to point out that, whilst Prof. Frimpong-Boateng makes serious allegations against some government appointees, as having been involved in, supporting or interfering with the fight against illegal mining, not a single piece of evidence was adduced or presented to enable the claims to be properly investigated.
“Indeed, the allegations contained in the document are at best hearsay. It is instructive that since Prof. Frimpong-Boateng’s meeting with the Chief of Staff in March, 2021, he has taken no step nor acted in furtherance of the matters contained in the document.”
It further stated that the President’s commitment to fighting illegal mining is unassailable, and the Office of the President welcomes any information on illegal mining activities which provides a credible basis for investigations to be conducted by the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service.