The Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has appealed for calm and reconciliation following the public uproar over remarks made by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Free Zones Authority, Mavis Awusi.

The controversy stems from Dr Awusi’s response to concerns raised by the Church regarding the environmental damage caused by illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey.

In an effort to ease tensions, Julius Debrah had earlier apologised on her behalf during a thanksgiving service at the Pentecost International Worship Centre in Trasacco, describing her remarks as a “slip” and appealing for understanding.

Responding to the matter, Apostle Nyamekye indicated that he harbours no ill feelings and believes the issue should be laid to rest.

“As for this lady, she has made me more popular. People like that I don’t think about because she has made my church and myself more popular,” he said.

He further explained that he had deliberately chosen not to dwell on the issue, despite the public attention it attracted.

“If I held anything against her, like standing here to speak for 45 minutes, I would have said something about her. I think we all have our opinions on issues, so let’s forget about this issue,” he added.