The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, has debunked claims of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s interference in the fight against illegal mining and that it would be scandalous for him to do that.
“The President will not countenance interference in the galamsey fight,” he stressed.
He stated this during an interview with the media at the National Youth Conference on natural resources and environmental governance in regard to a 37-page report compiled by Professor Kwabena-Frimpong-Boateng, the former Chairman of the Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), which he presented to the Chief of Staff on March 19, 2021.
Samuel Jinapor said that it is not in his place to pass judgement on his predecessors’ work in combating galamsey.
“I have no moral right to pass judgement on my predecessors. The good people of Ghana are in a better position to judge and all stakeholders… I don’t want to be drawn into this”.
The Minister denied any knowledge of involvement by Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Information Minister, in galamsey, describing him as a “decent gentleman who has been discharging his duties with candour.”