Former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has refuted claims that he failed in his role as chair of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) despite the persistence of illegal mining activities.
Addressing concerns on JoyNews’ “The Pulse” on July 24, Prof.Frimpong-Boateng argued that the perception of his failure stemmed from a misunderstanding of his responsibilities. “My job was to draw the attention of leadership to the issue. I wrote reports and informed the president whenever I had concerns,” he stated.
During his tenure, he highlighted significant issues, such as the Forest Commission granting forest reserves for mining. He emphasized that his efforts led to important outcomes, including a report that resulted in defamation lawsuits against him.
“I didn’t fail, no,” he asserted, arguing that his role was to inform and alert the leadership, not to enforce. Responding to why rivers remained polluted, he explained, “If people are arrested for a particular crime and, after serving their sentences, they return to the same crime, I cannot be accused of non-performance.”
Source: sankofaonline.com