President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo has disclosed that his stance on illegal mining remains unchanged despite promises by the opposition National Democratic Congress to return seized excavators to the miners.

Government through a collaboration with the Operation Vanguard Task-force managed to seize mining machinery and equipment including excavators from illegal miners who operated without permission during the Galamsey ban.

In February 2020, it was reported in the media that the seized excavators and other equipment seized from the illegal mining operators have gone missing. It later emerged, although unsubstantiated that some of the missing excavators had actually been given to NPP loyalists.

This prompted the flagbearer of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama, to promise that he will retrieve all seized excavators and concessions belonging to the small scale miners that have been allegedly handed to NPP supporters when elected president on December 7.

But addressing a campaign crowd at Manso Nkwanta in the Ashanti Region, on December 1, 2020, President Akufo-Addo said his fight against illegal mining remains unchanged despite stiff backlash from the opposition.

The President said, “In the days of our forefathers, they engaged in mining but they did it in a sustainable way which did not disturb the land or water bodies. I will not support illegal mining which will destroy the environment. My decision remains the same, where I am on this fight remains unchanged.”

He also added that he will not sit down and watch on as activities of illegal miners continue to deteriorate the land.

Disclosing governments intervention for small scale miners, Nana Addo stated, “We are going to roll out the community mining and my government is working hard on it”.

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