A former Minister for Environment, Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng has blamed politicians for the persistence of illegal mining despite numerous measures to curb it.
He said many of the people who fund galamsey are politicians, hence the inability of government to stop them.
Prof Frimpong- Boateng said this while contributing to discussions on circumstances leading to the death of eight persons on August 6 in a helicopter crash at Adansi Akrofum in the Ashanti Region.
The passengers and crew were destined for the launch of Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme by the government in Obuasi.
Commenting on the incident on TV3’s KeyPoints on August 6, Prof Frimpong Boateng said, “If galamsey is not stopping, it is because of people high up.”
He explained that, “It is people in the political parties that are doing these things. These are people we can’t stop. They are foot soldiers. They are saying that their party has come. It’s time for them to also enjoy and so they are enjoying. And it is difficult for the government or party to stop them. If we want to stop it now, it can be stopped.”
Prof Frimpong- Boateng called for an end to launching new initiatives to curb galamsey. He stressed that what is needed is political will.
“I believe there is no need to launch anything. We have had many launches in the past. Even this time we have launched Blue Water Guards. What happened to them? ” He queried.
It is recalled that on August 6 at an emergency press briefing at the Presidency, Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah announced that Defence Minister Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah and Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, were among the people who died in the fatal military helicopter crash on Wednesday.
The former Ashanti Regional Minister, Samuel Sarpong, who was also on board the helicopter lost his life.
Others who have been confirmed dead in the crash are Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, and Samuel Aboagye a former Member of Parliament and Dr. Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of NDC.
The statement came on the back of a report that a military helicopter had crashed at Adansi Akrofum in the Ashanti Region on Wednesday, August 6.
Eyewitnesses say the helicopter burned beyond recognition with all passengers on board burnt beyond recognition.
The Ghana Armed Forces said in a statement that on board were three crew and five passengers.
“The aircraft was from Accra and heading for Obuasi and is currently off the radar. All efforts are being made to establish contact,” the GAF statement added.
