The Executive Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralization (IMCCoD), Dennis Miracles Aboagye has jumped to the defense of Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah denying allegations of his involvement in a supposed plot against the fight against illegal mining activities commonly known as “galamsey” in the country.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosiisen, Mr. Aboagye said the Ayirebi legislator has been at the forefront of the fight against galamsey particularly in his constituency for a very long time hence, it is baseless to suggest even remotely that he was scheming against the fight against the menace as alleged by Prof. Frimpong Boateng in his infamous 37-page report to the Chief of Staff.
“The dedication shown by Mr. Oppong Nkrumah and his D.C.E, Paul Asamoah is exemplary. Their consistent sharing of videos showcasing the destruction caused by the illegal miners in Ofoase Ayirebi and the actions taken to prevent it is worthy of praise. I am yet to see any Member of Parliament who has been more committed to the fight against the illegal mining menace than Oppong Nkrumah,” he said.
A report authored by the former Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, and Chairman of the now-dissolved Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (ICIM) to the Chief of Staff accused Mr. Oppong Nkrumah of organizing a secret meeting of journalists from both the NPP and NDC on 8th February 2020 in Dodowa to discuss a strategy to bring him down, which led to subsequent negative media reports on his fight against galamsey.
The report also made several allegations against some government and political party officials who allegedly made various attempts to thwart his efforts in clamping down on illegal mining in the country.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah has since denied the allegation as false and a fabricated account to court public disaffection against his person. He said it goes against his principles and upbringing to hurt others questioning the feasibility and prudence of a scenario of getting both NPP and NDC affiliated journalists to work against a colleague minister.
