The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has strongly refuted allegations that sector Minister Samuel Abu Jinapor provided misleading information to Parliament concerning the state of Ghana’s forest reserves.
In a statement released on Friday, September 13, 2024, the Ministry described the claims circulating in some media outlets as false and urged the public to disregard them. The reports suggest that Minister Jinapor had given inaccurate details during a recent parliamentary session, particularly about activities within the country’s forest reserves.
However, the Ministry dismissed these accusations, asserting that the Minister has consistently presented accurate and transparent updates based on verified data and ongoing assessments of Ghana’s forest cover.
“All updates given by the Minister are based on verified data and ongoing assessments of the nation’s forest cover,” the statement said, emphasizing that the Ministry remains committed to the protection and sustainable management of the country’s natural resources.
In addressing the concerns raised, the Ministry stressed that it is actively tackling issues like deforestation and illegal mining within forest reserves. It further reassured the public of its dedication to delivering on its mandate of preserving Ghana’s forests through responsible management practices.
The Ministry also responded directly to the media report in question, which was published by The Fourth Estate, calling it misleading.
“The attention of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has been drawn to a publication by The Fourth Estate with the above headline in respect of an answer given by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, to a question posed to him in Parliament. The said publication contains a lot of falsehoods and misinformation.”
The statement further noted the seriousness of the allegations, especially given the respect the Minister, who is also a Member of Parliament, holds for the institution. “Given the respect and the high regard the Hon. Minister, who is, also, a Member of Parliament, has for the august House of Parliament, the Ministry finds the allegations that the Hon. Minister was not being truthful to Parliament as very serious and rather unfortunate,” it added.
The Ministry concluded by calling on Ghanaians to trust the processes in place and to disregard any efforts to undermine the work of the Ministry and its leadership.