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A leading member of the Convention People’s Party (NPP) Kwame Jantuah, has called for the arrest and prosecution of all the political figures involved in illegal small-scale mining (Galamsey).

He says that until the financiers and the political actors are arrested, the problem cannot be solved.

“Anybody involved in galamsey should be prosecuted irrespective of political colours, ” he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, July 19.

He added, “Let us tackle those who are financing it; until we tackle them we should forget about it.  The politicians in it should be brought to book.”

Kwame Jantuah further called for a ban to be placed on all forms of small-scale mining in order to deal with the illegal ones among them.

“Ban all forms of small-scale mining, then put ina  much better structure,” he said.

His comments come at a time the third National Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Abanga Yakubu Alhassan vowed to forfeit his position if evidence is brought against him to confirm his involvement in illegal mining.

The Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Dr Dominic Ayine, has directed the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to investigate National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress, Joseph Yamin and Abanga Yakubu Alhassan over illegal mining.

Speaking in an interview on TV3’s NewsCentral, Wednesday, July 16, 2025, Yakubu Alhassan while denying his involvement in illegal mining explained that although he has a mining concession, he does not possess any excavator working for him to suggest that he is into ‘galamsey’.

“Yes, I have a mining concession but as we speak, I have no excavator working for me anywhere that is why I have stated clear that whoever has any evidence against me that I am doing illegal mining or formed a taskforce going round and extorting money for me, I will forfeit my position as the National Vice-Chairman of the party,” he stated.

Mr. Yakubu Alhassan expressed his willingness and preparedness to honour any invitation by EOCO and assist with investigations into the matter.

“I am prepared to go to EOCO, I am a law-abiding citizen,” he noted.

Abanga stressed that as a “principled” man as he believes that “integrity is better than riches.”

Similarly, the National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress, Joseph Yamin, has also denied engaging in illegal mining activities.

His denial was contained in a post he made on Facebook on Monday, July 14, 2025.

“My attention has been drawn to a press release from the concern small scale miners in which they claim myself and the National Vice Chairman, Abanga are behind an illegal taskforce visiting their sites. I want to put on record I have no hand in the said allegations being leveled at me,” he wrote.