Samuel Abu Jinapor, the former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, has stated that he is unaware of the whereabouts of drones allegedly purchased to aid in the fight against illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey as reported by Ghana Web.
His comments follow revelations from his successor, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, who stated that since assuming office, he has not come across any of the drones supposedly procured by the Akufo-Addo administration.
In a speech on April 7, 2025, to the management and staff of the Minerals Commission in Accra, Buah stated the importance of technology in tackling illegal mining.
“Technology is very critical in this work,” he said, acknowledging reports of drones and other resources from the Inter-Ministerial Committee.
However, he added, “I have not seen the drones since I became a minister, and I don’t know exactly where they are.”
Responding to these claims in an interview with Joy FM, Jinapor, who served as the minister from 2021, clarified that no drones were handed over to him upon his assumption of office.
He also revealed that no handover notes mentioned the purchase of such drones.
“The correct place to direct the enquiry will be the Minerals Commission,” he said, adding that he had made inquiries during his tenure but found no records of the drones.
Jinapor pointed out that the drones in question were purportedly bought in 2018 by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, headed by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, who should have further details on the matter.