Former Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has reaffirmed his affiliation with the New Patriotic Party (NPP), though he expressed disillusionment with the party’s current state.
In an interview on JoyNews‘ The Pulse on Wednesday, July 24 he indicated that the party as it stands now is not attractive to him.
“I subscribe to the ideas of the U.P. tradition at the same time we have to honour Nkrumah who did so much for us… That’s how I see politics. We belong to certain traditions to certain reasons but that doesn’t mean that you have to demonise your opponents. That is how I see it. But the NPP in its present configuration is not attractive to me,” he said.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng’s remarks are rooted in his experiences under the NPP government, particularly regarding the controversy that ensued after he presented a report on illegal mining, also known as ‘galamsey.’
He felt that the way he was treated by the party following the report’s release was unfair and indicative of deeper issues within the party’s governance.
The galamsey report, which detailed widespread illegal mining activities and implicated several high-profile individuals, led to significant fallout.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng faced criticism and alleged that some party members sought to undermine his efforts to combat illegal mining.
This, he suggested, reflected a broader failure in the political landscape to improve governance and address critical issues effectively.
Despite his criticism, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng praised former President John Kufuor for his role in transitioning Ghana from a dictatorship to a rule of law and democracy.
He acknowledged Kufuor’s adept handling of the PNDC-NDC transition, emphasizing the challenges of moving the nation towards democratic governance and the importance of this achievement.