A bombshell report authored by former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, about two years ago found itself in the public domain with many revelations.
A signed 37-page report by Prof Frimpong-Boateng disclosed that, illegal mining popularly known as Galamsey was ongoing a few meters away from the house of President Akufo Addo in Kyebi.
“The impunity in the Eastern Region is exemplified by near unbelievable activity in Kyebi. I had a telephone call from Mr. Eric Antwi of the Office of the President and he narrated that the youth organizer of the NPP in Kyebi was excavating for Gold in a field close to the house of H.E. the President of the Republic. When we checked it was true that there was a Galamsey ongoing a few meters away from the house of Akufo Addo in Kyebi”, the report said.
He added that “Indeed part of the garden of President Akufo Addo’s house had been affected”.
This revelation has not gone down well with government officials including some Chiefs in the Kyebi hometown of the President who are demanding that, the former Minister showed them where the illegal mining took place.
Thus, the Kyebihene, Osabarima Marfo Kwabrane is inviting the former chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee, Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng to Kyebi to point the world where in the private home of President Akufo-Addo was illegally mined for gold.
The chief claimed that Prof Frimpong-Boateng’s presence is needed to back his claims that the President’s house was the site of galamsey activities as contained in his report on the fight against galamsey.
According to the chief, the allegation is unfounded and an embarrassment to the Akyem State.
The left side of the president’s house when facing it
“Prof Frimpong-Boateng should come here and show us where the illegal mining took place. He should come here and prove to us and the whole world that my nephew was involved in galamsey.
“We need Prof Frimpong-Boateng himself to direct us including all the journalists that indeed this is where President Akufo-Addo was engaging in illegal mining. So we demand that that man comes here,” he said.
What to show after two years?
In his report, Prof Boateng revealed that, when the information got him that illegal mining was taking place close to the house of the President, he quickly dispatched a bulldozer and excavator to reclaim and vegetate it.
The Abontendomhene of Kyebi, walk around the compound
This is how the report captured it “We quickly dispatched a bulldozer and an excavator to the area to reclaim the land and vegetate it. I need not say that nothing happened to the local youth organizer who caused the damage”.
Two years after the reclamation and vegetation, it is strange that, the Chief of Kyebi and some NPP officials are now daring the former Minister to come and show them where the illegal activity took place, knowing very well that, the damaged place has been reclaimed and vegetated.
What is there to show again?
Yaw
April 28, 2023