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Atik Mohammed has fired salvoes at the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, John Allotey, over a statement by the Commisison that illegal mining in forest reserves are an existential threat to Ghana.

The Forestry Commission said illegal alluvial gold mining has been ongoing for several decades along the banks of the Oda River which flows through the reserve, until 2013, where illegal mining with heavy equipment (excavators) moved into the Apramprama Forest Reserve; according to a publication on The Chronicle website.

“The Apamprama Forest Reserve is one of the three forest reserves where the Commission had challenges due to the associated violence exhibited by the armed perpetrators, in addition to the Oda River and Subin shelterbelt forest reserves,” the Commission disclosed in a statement signed by its CEO.

The Chief Executive added that the Commission is "looking to secure support to augment key logistical requirements, especially operational vehicles, drones, etc, to improve our operational and law enforcement capabilities and to enable the FC respond appropriately to this existential threat".

To Atik, the statement by the Forestry Commission brings into question the competence of Mr. John Allotey.

"This is a pronouncement on his competence," he said, emphasizing "when you are given a job, we are expecting results and not lamentation. We, as Ghanaians, reserve the right to lament but you who are paid, your job is to fix it; not to come and join us in the lamentation".

He noted that "since this man was appointed, I haven't ever heard him organizing an operation to sack people who are destroying the environment. I haven't seen it before and it is partly the reason for what we are seeing about galamsey because the Forestry Commission, with the powers to do what they should do, is not doing their duties effectively and you come and lament with us".

"What business do you still have being in office if you don't know what you're doing and all you are doing is that you are coming to lament with us?", he questioned and blasted the Forestry Commission boss stressing "our job is to lament and yours is to fix it....You don't have that right to lament with us. That right is exclusive to Ghanaians".

Atik made these submissions on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show.