Apology Accepted But, . . .

The audio-visual device discovered in the office of the current Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, has generated heated public discourse, with various interpretations being read into the matter from different quarters.

Thankfully, we now know the brain behind the device. According to former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, he ensured the installation of the audio-visual recorder as part of personal security measures.

That is not all; he has gone ahead to apologise to his successors for failing to inform them of the planted audio-visual gadget in the minister’s office.

“I apologise to my successors; it was never intended to spy on them. Nobody was spied on in the office after I had left,” Mr. Inusah Fuseini expressed while speaking to a cross-section of journalists in Accra last Tuesday

He goes on to make the point that the device was not activated, explaining that that was the reason why the security agencies could not receive any signal when they swept the minister’s office the first time.

For starters, it is good that Mr. Inusah Fuseini has come out to claim ownership of the device and moved a step further to apologise to his successors—Nii Osah Mills, who took over from him in the erstwhile Mahama administration, and the current Minister, Mr. Amewu.

Apology accepted. But, in Today‘s opinion, we must look at the issue critically and beyond a rendered apology. We say this because the issue has security implications.

Thus, this is where Today agrees with security expert at the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Centre (KAIPC), Dr. Kwesi Aning, on his call to our security agencies to invite Mr. Inusah Fuseini for further interrogation.

We believe that the invitation should not only stop with him (Inusah Fuseini), but must be extended to the person who installed the device as well, especially when Mr. Inusah Fuseini tells us that the device was not activated. This notwithstanding we also know that such a device can be operated remotely.

AndD we have heard Mr. Inusah Fuseini say that he will cooperate with the security agencies as they carry out investigations into the matter.

For us at Today this is a good start towards looking into this matter, particularly in the wake of the nation’s effort to do all we can to stop illegal mining (galamsey).

Meanwhile, it is refreshing that Mr. Amewu is undeterred by the discovery of this audio-visual device in his office.

In our view we must soldier on and not lose our guard, especially when some recalcitrant galamseyers, have changed their modus operandi and were surreptitiously working and causing damage to the environment.

In fact, that reality dawned on us with the recent death of twenty-two galamseyers who perished in a collapsed mining pit in Nsuta in the Prestea-Huni Valley in the Western Region.

It thus tells us that the fight against galamsey is far from over and that we need to keep the heat on the galamseyers if we must win this war.