Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, looks a principled man, who would discharge his duties and responsibilities,lawfully. Someone who would name and shame his own relatives and friends for doing wrong, instead of covering up for them.
It was this man that H.E. President Nana Akufo-Addo appointed minister to be in charge of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation. This was the time that the environment was being seriously devastated with illegal mining, turning forests into deserts and fresh water bodies into cocktail of poisonous elements. Prof was mandated to conduct an investigation and report to the president. He did just that and presented the Confidential Report to his boss, with the hope that hewould act on it. But for some reasons after his re-election Nana Addo did not pick Prof. Frimpong-Boateng as his minister.
Then in the absence of Prof, the report leaked out and the then Attorney-General, Godfred Dame claimed that there was no evidence to substantiate the revelations contained in the 36-page of Frimpong-Boateng’s galamsey report. Then Prof was taken to the laundry, that even Hon. Sylvester Tetteh could appear on television and say Frimpong-Boateng was the funniest human on earth and that his galamsey report was a useless piece of paper. Hmmm, it is only in politics that people of Sylvester’s status could sight a work of a whole professor and say it was a useless piece of paper. As if to say, he understood what he read.
Today, the NDC government has viewed the report as a very good and important piece of information that could help government get the members of the galamsey cartel.
The highly educated Sly Tetteh, whose level of education ranks higher than all doctorate degrees and that of a professor, marked the report zero over hundred, but the NDC who are less educated are excited about the unfamiliar words in the report and have decided to study it well and acquire knowledge.
But what is disturbing is that if the report is true, then Nana Addo’s own allies let him down. He gave his life to fight galamsey and all forms of illegal mining, signing a blood covenant with God that he was going to protect His creation, the environment.
So, how can names like Hon. Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Gabby Otchere Darko, Laud Commey and Kweku Baako among others, appear in the report for being complicit in one way or the other in the devastation of our environment.
These are people who walk, eat, drink and sleep with the ex-president and one would expect that they would lead the fight against illegal mining, but Prof. Frimpong-Boateng found them, otherwise.
I feel sad for H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo, for if the report is true, then it is his own people who led to his downfall and the downfall of the NPP. His legacy, so far as the environment is concern, is nothing to write home about.
The fact that two NDC gurus, Mr. Yakubu Abanga and Mr. Joseph Yamin, were also found in the report, and the current AG, wants them to also be investigated indicates that at long last a government which cares, wants to put an end to this environmental devastation.
I will always cite the case of El Salvador which at one point in time, had over ninety percent of its natural water bodies, contaminated with heavy metals used in mining. The government of the day, had to be forced to shut down all forms of miningin order to reclaim the land and fresh water bodies.
Ghana is heading that road. In my opinion, those to blame most are the people residing in these areas. I would not just jump and hold the throats of government officials and traditional leaders. The residents in the area see what is happening to their land, forest and water bodies, to the extent that they cannot grow crops or drink from their rivers and yet they are doing nothing about this. But, why is it that if Fulani headsmen lead their cattle to graze on their farms, they raise alarm and go fighting them, but when people come to lure their youth to destroy their farms and water bodies, they do not stop them but rather join them?
Assuming we get to El Salvador’s level, you will hear such people crying to government to do something. In fact, they will even blame politicians for doing nothing. But today, they even dare government for stopping them. They should know that the Chinese and other nationals encouraging them to do what they are doing, will long retire to their home countries when things start getting out of hands.
And if, the Ghanaians in the galamsey areas think they can acquire visas to travel abroad and live free from contaminated water and foodstuffs, they should know that this will never happen. For they are known to destroy the environment and would not be wanted in any country.
All said, I am so glad that at long last, a government has decided to take a look at Prof. Frimpong-Boateng’s report on the devastating effects of illegal mining. If the report is true, people must be made to pay for their crimes and as for H.E. Nana Addo’s close associates, I feel sorry that they betrayed the man who trusted them, so much.
Hon Daniel Dugan
Editor’s note: Views expressed in this article do not represent that of The Chronicle
