Prof. Frimpong-Boateng's report as 'needless' and a 'complete disaster' - Kwamena Duncan

Former Minister for Central Region, Kwamena Duncan has slammed Professor Frimpong-Boateng over his allegations against some officials in government and at the Jubilee House of their involvement in illegal mining.

The former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng recently released an incriminating report accusing the Minister of Information; Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Director of Operations at Jubilee House, Lord Commey and other officials of sabotaging his efforts to fight against illegal mining, popularly called "galamsey" while he was the Chairman of the ertswhile Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM).

"Throughout our struggle with illegalities in the small-scale mining sector, what baffled me was the total disregard of the President’s commitment to protecting the environment. I can state without any equivocation that many party officials from the National to the unit committee level had their friends, PAs, agents, relatives, financiers or relatives engaged in illegal mining.

“Most of them engaged Chinese working for them. I am not referring to party people who had their legitimate concession and were mining sustainably as they were instructed to do. There are appointees in the Jubilee House that are doing or supporting illegal mining or interfering with the fight against the menace,” parts of the report read.

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has refuted the claims made by Professor Frimpong Boateng, saying "over the years, I had nothing but great admiration for Prof Boateng’s public spirited works and as an inspirational citizen. I feel gravely offended over the false claims he has made and the hurtful conclusions he has sought to exact about me precisely because of the great esteem in which I have held him. I trust that in the coming months and years he will reflect deeply upon his own actions and comments which have led to his challenges. He should kindly leave me out of his personal fights".

"I am utterly disappointed but I forgive him," he further replied.

Discussing the matter on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' show, Kwamena Duncan described the report as a complete disaster.

"It was needless. That was not the time for him to have spoken," he exclaimed.

He noted that Professor Frimpong-Boateng's report left the accused persons with no opportunity to respond to the allegations against them.

"This is a report that is mentioning names and casting aspersions sullying people's reputations. Let them have the space to respond. Now, they say you as the Chairman was also involved, so what does that mean? . . . how does this reflect on the President who had that trust and confidence in you and put you there?"