The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Damongo, Mutawakilu Adam, has described President Akufo-Addo as ‘Messiah’ in corruption for failing to arrest his party executives and ministers who he knows are neck-deep in illegal mining because he is benefitting from it, and rather going after the small ’fishes’.
Speaking to the media in Parliament, the Ranking Member for the Committee on Mines and Energy, Mutawakilu said his side was surprised about the 500 missing excavators seized in the clampdown on illegal mining but could not be found under the supervision of the Minister for Science and Environment, Prof. Frimpong Boateng
He said if there should be any arrest, then it should be Prof. Frimpong Boateng and the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. John Boadu whose names have been mentioned on tape by the suspended Central Regional Vice Chairman, Mr. Horace Ekow Ewusi.
He was arrested by the CID on the order of the sector minister over the missing 500 excavators.
He continued that the first thing the President should have done was to let the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Prof. Frimpong Boateng appear before the Parliamentary Committee on Mines and Energy so they would have clear evidence why he breached the law.
He questioned why the Minister has not resigned and why the President has not fired and handed him over to the Police to be prosecuted, if indeed President Nana Akufo Addo is ready to fight corruption in his government.
“Because the law is clear and it was the Minister who brought it to Parliament to be amended, so both the President and Minister know where the excavators should be sent to,” he said.
Explaining further on the corruption tag on President Nana Akufo Addo, the Damango legislator said he once gave some seized registered pick-up numbers to the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Mr. John Owusu Afriyie, aka ‘Sir John’ to look into it for they were still doing illegal mining, but the case just died out.
“Let me recall, some time ago when I reported and gave some registered numbers of pick-ups that have been seized to the CEO of Ghana Forestry Commission, billboard indicating that they were doing reclamation was mounted, but in actual fact they were doing galamsay.
The police picked them up and a directive came from the Flagstaff House for their release.”
“The CEO of Forestry Commission himself admitted it, saying he has no control because the engine of control came from President Nana Akufo Addo’s office. So how can the police do proper job when the directives come from the President’s own office against what should have been done properly, they cannot,” he added.
Mr. Mutawukilu again cited another instance saying of an investigation exposing Mr. Charles Bissue, the former Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (MCIM) by Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ Galamsay Undercover Investigations piece.
“We all saw him taking cash and when it was referred to the Special Prosecutor, Anas was collaborating with the Special Prosecutor to ensure that the right is done. But what did Nana Akufo do, he quickly asked the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to investigate and vindicate the Party’s Western Regional scribe, Charles Bissue without the knowledge of the Special Prosecutor, without any evidence from Anas Aremeyaw. So what are you talking about? The President is at the centre of this corruption.”
He noted that President Nana Akufo Addo is also supervising over gargantuan illegal mining now because 47 mining companies have signed leases with the government, but these have not been brought before Parliament for rectification.
This, he said, clearly breaches Article 268 of the 1992 Constitution but Nana Addo has no problem with that and these 47 companies are still mining.
“As a committee, we have followed them since last year and up to date, we don’t know when this will come to us, as a committee.”
“And if nothing at all, we should have ratified it before mining should take place. And even postmothus approval ratification they are not willing to bring it, and that tells you the interest Nana Akufo Addo has in the illegal mining that is going on.”
“He is benefiting greatly from it. They are doing this to support the party towards the 2020 campaign. He has hundred percent knowledge of it or 360 degrees about what is happening,” Mutawakilu alleged.
“The drones that they bought for $3m, 200 of them, where is the centre of control, it’s at President Nana Akufo Addo’s office”, he stated.
“President Nana Addo is aware of all these happenings in the country but has decided to keep his eyes closed on it and that makes him a corrupt leader, presiding over corruption,” he added.
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Source: Frontpageghana.com/Ghana
