The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon Kwaku Asomah Cheremeh has revealed that 157 excavators are in their possession with

He added that ‘Operation Vanguard’ has presented 290 seized excavators to the Ministry and ‘Galamstop’ also accounting for 81 seized excavators.

Speaking at the Information ministry’s ‘Meet the Press’ on Wednesday, October 21, per the report of Ghanaweb, the Minister challenged that people who doubt his account and still claims that there are missing excavators can present the chassis and registration numbers for a full-scale investigation into the matter.

"The Ministry has toured a number of locations to take inventory of this equipment, especially excavators. This exercise has resulted in the sighting of 157 excavators currently located at the following sites: Adenta-122, Obuasi-26, Tarkwa-9, making a total of 157," Asomah Cheremeh addressed.

READ ALSO:

Ghana is blessed to have Nana Addo as leader, take it or leave it - Kwame Tanko endorse

Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, in January disclosed that some excavators seized from illegal miners by the Operation Vanguard and Galamstop teams had vanished, a situation which led to the arrest of some six persons, including the Central Regional First Vice Chairperson of the incumbent New Patriotic Party.

Hon Asomah Cheremeh assured that his ministry is not resting on the matter as they seek to square the recorded figures and help in managing the assets.

“My Ministry is working to reconcile these figures which were hitherto given by Operation Vanguard and Galamstop, and develop a database to assist in managing this equipment. But for now, this is what we have counted at the sites mentioned,” he added.