Former Environment Minister, Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, says he is not bitter about no longer serving in President Akufo-Addo’s government as he sacrificed greatly to be in the government in the first place.
The celebrated surgeon said being part of the government was not a privilege to him as many people thought, but rather a sacrifice for the country.
The one-time presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), insisted that he did not come into government to enrich himself as others have instead to help develop the country for the current and future generations.
The venerable professor speaking in an interview with Accra-based TV3 on Sunday, October 22, thus rejected claims that he is pained that he is no longer part of the government.
“Serving in government was for me a sacrifice, I had to sacrifice a lot to serve in our government. Other people may see it as a privilege or as a means to make money, but to me, it was a big sacrifice serving in government. It is my pleasure to have been given the chance to serve this nation and I think I did my work very well.
“I do other things, I run two hospitals I have other businesses that, family things that I had to cater for. Some of these things suffered, and above all, I didn’t have much time for my grandchildren. I am not bitter, a lot came from my appointment. You will not find many ministers who achieved what I achieved within the four years that I served.”
On April 20, the former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation named some top government officials as being complicit in the illegal mining menace.
The renowned heart surgeon indicated that the rot goes as high as the seat of government, the Jubilee House.
He stressed that the allegations of some 500 missing excavators seized from illegal miners in 2020 were fabrications of some persons in the government to get him out of the way.
Since his revelation, there has been an increase in calls for accountability from both government officials and individuals involved in illegal mining activities.
However, the Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, in April 2023, advised that little attention be given to the 36-page document written by Prof Frimpong Boateng entitled “Report on the work of IMCIM so far and the way forward”.
Mr Dame noted that the findings in the report were his opinion and must be investigated to justify their authenticity.
The Attorney-General has thus asked the police to discharge the persons mentioned except those still under investigation.
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