The Member Parliament for Prestea Huni-Valley Constituency (PHC), who doubles as the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Lawyer Mrs. Barbara Oteng-Gyasi has stated that the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo is never “going to collapse small scale mining” contrary to rumours churned out to the people of Prestea.

The soft spoken Deputy Minister was speaking at Prestea Workers Club to over six hundred people, mostly small scale miners and 'galamseyers' on September 11, 2017.

The 'Town Hall Meeting' was attended by the District Chief Executive for Prestea Huni Valley, Hon. Mozart K. Owuh, NPP Constituency Chairman for the area, Mr. Abiam Kuntu Danso, NPP Constituency Organizer, Mr. Francis Abeiku (Big Abbey), the leadership of Small Scale Miners (SSM) in Prestea Huni-Valley District, as well as hundreds of 'galamseyers' was aimed at briefing the Prestea Community about the Multilateral Mining Integrated Project (MMIP) and concerns raised by the community about government clamp down on illegal mining (galamsey).

“First of all, I will apologize to you for being late slightly. It was because I was having a meeting with the Operation Vanguard leadership because I am aware you have concerns about their work in Prestea", she remarked.

The Deputy Minister said that the clamp down on galamsey has brought slight distress in Prestea, "but the exercise is for the betterment of us and the future generations yet unborn".

"His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Addo is not against mining, but the manner in which galamsey or small scale mining is done in this country is not helping all of us, that the President wants to take the bold steps to ensure our people undertake “responsible mining", she assured.

The people of Prestea offered contributions and admonished the Deputy Minister to talk to the Operation Vanguard over “inhumane treatment".

One of the aggrieved persons, Madam Amali, narrated a inhumane treatment meted out to 'galamsyers', citing what they did to her own brother at Nakaba about two weeks ago, where the Operation Vanguard were burning tyres into pits when her brother was under the pit mining.