Nominee for the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources Samuel Abu Jinapor has praised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for putting together an excellent team to begin his second term in office.
According to him, the President’s pick is very nationalistic in character judging from the blend of young and old and the combination of experiences.
He expressed optimism that the team put together by the President can effectively assist him to deliver on his mandate and the agenda of the second term of his administration.
Speaking in an interview in Parliament last Friday, the Nominee who is also the Member of Parliament for Damongo Constituency said, “I thank the president for nominating me and as somebody who worked closely with him as a Chief Aid for the past four years, I know his nomination is a big confidence in me.
“This puts a lot of responsibility on myself and I hope and pray that I will be able to live up to the expectation,” he said.
The Nominee observed that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is very important to the country with a lot of complex issues.
He expressed his readiness to offer effective leadership to consolidate resources and access at the Ministry to chart a path to deploy land as a tool for national development.
According to him, if approved by Parliament, he intends to chart a new course on land administration that would enable investors to acquire litigation-free land in a transparent manner.
Speaking on the mining industry, the former Deputy Chief of Staff argued the need to find intelligent ways of boosting the mining industry that does not jeopardize the environment and the ecosystem.
The President’s vision for the mining sector, he said, is very clear and requires a workable programme for small scale mining that will strike that balance, to ensure it is sustainable, prudent, lawful, and does not affect the ecosystem and the environment.
On illegal mining popularly referred to as Galamsey, Mr Abu Jinapor acknowledged a lot of work has been done on the sector and indicated that if approved he intends to pursue a simple strategy.
“The President has been clear that he is not against small scale mining but is determined to protect the environment.
“So we all have to agree to the laid down rules. I think we should have a national consultative forum as the President has said where mining associations, the ministry, Parliament, the media, chiefs and local authorities will all be there represented.
“When we agree on the way forward then we can implement it without fear or favour,” he added.
