Speak for your integrity is at stake, the silence is worrying - Baako to Osafo Maafo

Senior Minister Osafo Maafo's silence over his galamsey queen comment will create 'integrity challenges for him', according to the Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Kweku Baako.

The senior Minister courted controversy when he said: "… Putting that lady [Aisha Huang – the Chinese galamsey queen] in jail in Ghana is not going to solve your economic problems. It is not going to make you or me happy, that’s not important”.

This was after he was asked why Ghana deported 'Chinese galamsey queen' Aisha Huang without prosecuting her.

He further indicated: “today, the main company that is helping develop the infrastructure system in Ghana is Sinohydro, it is a Chinese company. It is the one that is going to help process our bauxite and provide about $2 billion to us”

Many are those who have called for the head of Osafo Maafo. While some are saying he should apologise, others are asking him to resign. His comment has also been described as an affront to the fight against illegal mining.

It may be recalled that Kweku Baako while speaking to this for the first time had urged the Senior Minister to retract and apologise.

However, no one has heard from Osafo Maafo days after making those comments.

Discussing these issues further on Saturday's Joy Newsfile programme, Kweku Baako said "Mr Osafo Maafo’s continuous silence is what is worrying me".

According to him, "he would have helped himself if had done some clarification that will involve retraction and apology (because) government is now walking a tight rope, very difficult…If he had spoken…we would have moved on".

"The delay is creating more integrity challenges for him; it's unfortunate" he added.