Missing drones for galamsey monitoring: Ask Operation Vanguard team – Frimpong-Boateng

Former Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, Prof Frimpong Boateng has rebutted the assertion by Samuel Abu Jinapor, former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources that he doesn’t know the whereabouts of the drones that were purchased to assist in the fight against galamsey.

Mr. Jinapor in a response to the statement by the current Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah that he has not seen any of the said drones since assumption of office mentioned that he (Jinapor) did not find any records of the drones during his tenure hence the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining which was headed by Prof Frimpong Boateng must be made to answer to the whereabouts of the drones.

However, Prof Frimpong Boateng has responded saying “I don’t think he is serious, Abu was the Deputy Chief of Staff and later on Minister, so he knows very well what the truth is”.

“It is true that the Inter Ministerial Committee (IMC) against galamsey procured some drones but they were not many. Those drones were given to Operation Vanguard and all the District Mining Committees” Prof Frimpong Boateng told Blakk Rasta on the 3FM Urban Blend Show on Tuesday 8th April, 2025.

He recounted that the honorable Peter Amewu also bought some drones when he was Minister of Lands and Natural Resources so they should find out from Honorable Amewu.

He also suggests that anyone searching for the drones should check with the National Security or Operation Vanguard and all the District Committees who had the drones; especially the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources that purchased the majority of the drones.

“The records are there. When the committee was dissolved, the National Security took over the office. They and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, especially the Deputy Minister Mireku Duker took over without even inviting me to officially handover; so they should go through the records” the former IMC Chairman stressed.

He admitted that as the chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee, he has to assume responsibility for everything but there are records of the number of drones that were procured and where they are supposed to be since everything was recorded in the office.

“I was only the chairman of the IMC and there was a Secretariat which was responsible for the day-to-day activities of the committee not the chairman” he stated.

By Samuel Afriyie Owusu

The post Missing drones for galamsey monitoring: Ask Operation Vanguard team – Frimpong-Boateng first appeared on 3News.

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