The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has debunked claims that the government has sold a number of the excavators that were seized at the height of the war against illegal mining in Ghana
The sector minister, Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh said claims by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that some excavators are missing, sold and stolen do not hold water.
“The number we have is 157 at Adentan, Obuasi, and Tarkwa. The number that I have provided are numbers that are on site. The place is not walled, they can go and check. The claim by NDC that 500 excavators are missing, sold, and stolen is neither here nor there.”
Mr. Asomah-Cheremeh further challenged any individual who has proof of the said allegations, to produce evidence to authenticate the said transactions.
“I stood at the Prestea-Huni valley area in February and told journalists that the government or the ministry has not done any such thing, but the accusations persist. Whoever thinks otherwise should come forward with better particulars,” he dared.
I’ll return excavators, concessions seized by NPP government – Mahama
The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, at a durbar of chiefs and people of Agona Amenfi in the Western Region accused the government of seizing excavators belonging to small-scale mining and handing them over to party officials.
He said he will retrieve all confiscated excavators and concessions belonging to small scale miners reportedly given to New Patriotic Party sympathizers if he wins the 2020 elections.
“They have sidelined those of us who do not belong to their party and not their relatives from the mining sector to go hungry to allow party faithful and DCEs to rather engage in the mining. This is not right at all. There are individuals whose excavators have been confiscated because they were accused of doing illegal small scale mining. These excavators are sadly later given to NPP supporters who eventually send them back to do the same illegal small-scale mining.”
