Deputy Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, Elikem Kotoko, has explained that the government’s intensified fight against illegal mining is being carried out strategically and lawfully, not through political targeting.
Kotoko stressed the importance of careful monitoring and adherence to legal protocols in the ongoing operations.
“One of the things we are doing now is monitoring some of them, so that we can finally trace who and where they actually engage in this enterprise. If we do not do these things, we will only be deceiving ourselves,” he said on Prime Insight on Joy Prime.
He further explained that decisions taken by the President in such matters must follow due process to avoid legal complications in the future.
“You can take a decision as President to press this button, but when you leave office, you will be queried as to whether you took that action properly. Yes, the Constitution gives executive powers, but there are still standard protocols to go through before doing so,” Kotoko noted.
According to him, bypassing these protocols can have consequences, even for actions carried out under constitutional authority.
“If you do not go through those protocols, you will be found culpable with the law, even though you think you have executed a mandate given by the Constitution. So, whether acting on or against advice from national security council, you must have very good reasons for your decision,” he added.
Kotoko also reiterated that the government’s operations are not aimed at any individual, including Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, but are part of a broader strategy to dismantle illegal mining networks.
