The media personality pointed to Ayine’s involvement with the law during his tenure as Chairman of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee in the 8th Parliament, when the law’s wording was amended to allow its passage.
Captain Smart argued that this history has contributed to the ongoing issues with illegal mining, as over two thousand small-scale mining licenses were issued within eight months following the law’s enactment.
While acknowledging that Ayine was in the opposition when the law was initially passed, Captain Smart stressed that his current position as Attorney General gives him the authority to act.
“If this Attorney General does not go, I swear to God, they can’t fight it. Whoever believes he is a man should come for a bet. Because from the very moment Dominic Ayine sat on the Subsidiary Legislation Committee and changed the wording to enable that law to come into fruition, President Akufo-Addo and Mr Ayisi, the then-Minerals Commission CEO, issued over two thousand small-scale mining licenses in a space of eight months,” he said.
He questioned why, after nine months in office, Ayine had not initiated the repeal, pointing to precedents such as the E-Levy and Emission Levy, which were successfully repealed by other government officials.
Captain Smart criticized Ayine for allegedly allowing forest reserves to be exploited for gold and illegal mining activities, despite government intentions under President John Dramani Mahama to repeal the law.
He questioned why the repeal documents remain unaddressed on the Attorney General’s desk.
The host also expressed support for the government’s declaration of a state of emergency on water bodies aimed at combating illegal mining.
Critics have increasingly called on the administration to act decisively against the threat posed by LI 2462, which they argue has fueled environmental degradation in Ghana’s forests and water bodies.