I will consider Mutawakilu’s 'resignation request' – Lands Minister

Minster for Lands and Natural resources, John Peter Amewu has stated that he might factor in, the request from Deputy Minority Spokesperson on Energy; Adam Mutawakilu to resign.

Mr. Mutawakilu described the Minister as a failure as far as ending the menace of illegal mining is concerned and called for his immediate resignation. According to him, Mr. Amewu’s failure to rectify the situation is what led to the disaster in Prestea-Nsuta where 17 persons were trapped in a mining pit for over 48 hours.

Speaking on JoyNews’ ‘Upfront’ program, Mr. Amewu accepted responsibility for the tragedy. According to him, the Damango MP was “right in his mind” to have made such a request seeing that the tragedy happened under his watch as sector minister.

“I think that he is right in his mind because the sector that I governed seems to be a sector that this unfortunate incident happened, so of course I’m responsible as a sector minister and I think that is his mind, he thinks that I have to resign because this incident happened”, he said.

Responding to whether or not he was prepared to resign per the request, Mr. Amewu said he is considering it adding that he is not obliged however to set the outcome of his decision in the public domain.

“I’m considering it, this is what he is saying so I’m considering his thinking. He said it and I will not ignore it, whether I have to resign or not is not for me to say it in public”, he said.

A pit, said to be more than 80 meters deep caved in trapping 17 victims for over 48 hours after a heavy downpour on Sunday.

The latest mining disaster comes at a time when the government is fighting illegal mining across the country.

A number of arrests have been made and excavators owned by the galamsey miners have been seized by the government taskforce set up to fight illegal mining.