Former Minister of Environment, Science, and Technology, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has revealed how the Ministry of Lands with support from the Lands Commission allegedly sabotaged community mining which was conceptualized by the Inter Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) to check illegal mining activities.
In a 37-page report dated March 19, 2021, the former minister said although the community mining project which was rolled out by President Akufo-Addo in 2017 received support from many, the Lands Ministry decided to treat it with intense hostility.
According to him, this became so following the appointment of Kwaku Asamoah-Cheremeh.
“Some elements in the Minerals Commission, including Mr S.K. Boafo, the Chairman of the Minerals Commission Board supported the position of the Ministry of Lands,” he said.
The contention between the Committee and two other bodies, he said, was due to a clash over responsibility.
“Apparently, they were angry that the IMCIM was at the forefront in matters concerning small scale mining, which they said were among the functions of the Minerals Commission.
The effect of this antagonism was that several community mining sites that the IMCIM had planned and were ready to be commissioned were effectively sabotaged and blocked by the Minerals Commission and the Lands Minister (Peter Amewu – then Lands Minister),” he added.
Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng said some sabotaged community mining sites were located in Asante Akim area in the Ashanti Region.
He claimed that a day before the commissioning of the sites by the IMCIM, Mr S.K. Boafo called the MCE of Asante Akim Central to block the event lest lose her job.
According to him, this matter was brought before the Chief of Staff who advised that they work together “but that advise was not heeded by the Lands Ministry and the Minerals Commission.”
Currently, the Lands Ministry and the Minerals Commission are being headed by Samuel Abu Jinapor and Barbara Oteng Gyasi respectively.
Meanwhile, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng has accused the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, of masterminding his removal from office in 2020.
Source: The Independent Ghana