Samuel Abu Jinapor, the former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, has stated that he is unaware of the whereabouts of drones that were reportedly acquired during the Akufo-Addo administration to support the fight against illegal mining, or galamsey.
His comments came after his successor, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, disclosed that he has not come across any of the drones since assuming office, despite reports of their purchase under the previous administration.
Speaking during a meeting with the management and staff of the Minerals Commission in Accra on Monday, April 7, 2025, Mr. Buah emphasized the critical role of technology in combating illegal mining:
“Technology is very critical in this work. And I think from here, I’m going to see some geo-fencing activities you guys have done here and see how we can even make it bigger and expand it.
Yes, there were reports of drones and other things from the Inter-Ministerial Committee. But I can tell you that it’s probably part of the things we are looking at. I have not seen the drones since I became a minister, and I don’t know exactly where they are.”
In a same-day interview with Joy FM, Jinapor responded that he had not inherited any drones upon taking office in 2021, nor had he received any documentation indicating their procurement:
“I made queries and enquiries. There were no records of these drones… they just did not exist at the time I became minister. Were they bought? Were they not bought? How were they handled? All these questions can be answered by the Inter-Ministerial Committee.”
This issue dates back to 2017 when the government faced backlash after it was revealed that $3 million had been spent on drones. Then-Lands Minister John Peter Amewu explained that the drones were intended for monitoring and preventing illegal logging in Ghana’s forest reserves.
By Najat Adamu
