Kwaku Afriyie, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation
The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Dr Kwaku Afriyie, has charged the newly constituted governing board of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deal vigorously with institutions whose activities pollute the environment.
He said the EPA was established to manage, protect, and enhance the country’s environment and seek common solutions to global environmental problems; hence, they need to find a lasting solution to the menace of plastic waste and galamsey operations.
Dr Afriyie made these remarks yesterday in Accra when he inaugurated the 6th governing board of EPA.
He said an ongoing amendment Act would mandate the EPA with the legal powers to ensure they discharged their mandate effectively without limitations.
“Historically, the EPA was set up as an agency which was to give guidance and advice to the MESTI, but it has now become a regulatory body that deals with issues of environment which have also become so important all over the world”.
“In a developing country like ours, we should certainly not mimic the mistake that other countries had made. That is why with this amendment, the name of EPA is likely to be changed,” he said.
Dr Afriyie explained that the completion of the amendment of the EPA Act would become symbolic and filled with the legal powers to enable them to deal with issues of climate change.
He urged the governing board to put their expertise and knowledge together to help them stop the illegal mining activities that had affected the quality of the country’s water bodies.
Members of the governing board were Mr Kwesi Enyan (Chairman), Maame Kesewa Eshun, Dr Mohammed-Sani Abdulia, Mr Oliver Boachie, Mr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, Mrs Cynthia Asare Bediako.
The rest are Mr Clifford Edmund Frimpong, Mr Mike Yaw Osei-Atweneboana, Mr Stephen Djaba, Mr Frank Raji, Mr Franklin Ashiadey, Mrs Catherine Agyapomaa Appiah Pinkrah and Mr Benjamin Ampomah Nkansah.