Former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation and chair of the erstwhile committee on illegal mining, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has refuted claims that, despite his position, the illegal mining menace persisted.
According to him, the popular perception that he did not live up to his mandate as chair is due to a misunderstanding of his role.
His comments come in the wake of concerns that, although he chaired the committee, the illegal mining menace continued.
“My job was to draw attention of leadership to that thing. So I wrote a report even before I wrote a report every now and then, when I had issues, I informed the president,” he said on the JoyNews’ The Pulse on July 24.
He argued that, during his tenure as chair, a notable accomplishment was bringing the president’s attention to the Forest Commission giving out forest reserves for mining purposes.
Prof Frimpong-Boateng emphasised that he delivered significant results, including a report that led to some individuals taking him to court with accusations of defamation.
On the back of this, he argued “ I didn’t fail, no.”
When asked why the rivers were still polluted if he insists he did not fail, Prof Frimpong-Boateng explained that if people are arrested for a particular crime and, after serving their sentences, they return to the same crime, he could not be accused of non-performance.