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 vigorously deal with institutions whose activities pollute the environment.
He said, EPA was established to manage, protect and enhance the country’s environment, and as well, seek common solutions to global environmental problems, hence, the need for them to find lasting solution to the menace of plastic waste and ‘galamsey’ operations.
Dr Afriyie made this remarks yesterday in Accra, when he inaugurated the 6th governing board of EPA.
He said, there was an ongoing amendment Act that 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 has also become so important all over the world.
In the developing country like ours, we should certainly not mimics 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 not only become symbolic, but filled with the legal powers to enable them deal with issues of climate change.
He urged the governing board to put their expertise and knowledge together, to help them put a stop to the illegal mining activities which 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.
BY BERNARD BENGHAN
