'We've To Be Fair To Prof. Frimpong Boateng' - Kwesi Pratt Reacts To Report Accusing NPP Bigwigs of Engaging In Galamsey
Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has called out critics speaking against former Minister for Science and Technology, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng following his exposé on illegal mining (galamsey) in the country.
A report authored by former Professor Frimpong-Boateng has indicted some New Patriotic Party officials at the Jubilee House of being actively involved in galamsey.
The 37-page report disclosed that some NPP bigwigs engaged the services of Chinese nationals to engage in galamsey on their behalf.
“Throughout our struggle with illegalities in the small-scale mining sector, what baffled me was the total disregard of the President’s commitment to protect 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.
Also, Professor Frimpong Boateng accused a former NPP Member of Parliament of using his position as a member of the Minerals Commission to acquire dozens of large-scale concessions in his district, ostensibly for community mining purposes but only for him to end up selling these concessions to private individuals for GHC 200,000 per concession.
“This infuriated the party in the constituency so during the 2020 primaries to select a candidate the electorate voted against the sitting MP, who was more resourced than other candidates. Although there were allegations that he “camped” delegates and attempted to bribe them, he lost to a lesser known individual who did not have any financial muscle”, the report further said.
Tackling the matter during Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", Kwesi Pratt asked the critics to be fair to Professor Frimpong Boateng.
He wondered why the President did nothing about the report which, he disclosed, was sent to his office two years ago but only got his attention recently after Prof. Frimpong Boateng accused officials at the Jubilee House of their involvement in the illegal mining.
"We have to be fair to Professor Frimpong Boateng . . . at the same time we have to fair to those he accuses," he told host Nana Yaw Kesseh and, to him, "the only way to be fair to both parties is to insist that proper investigations are carried out".
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