President Akufo-Addo has cautioned political actors particularly members of the opposition parties to halt unscrupulous allegations against members in his government to be dealing in illegal mining.

Delivering a speech at the National Dialogue on Small Scale Mining Wednesday, the President said although he is determined to enforce the laws on individuals who are caught engaging in 'galamsey' he will not activate them based on mere allegations.

He insisted that the evidence against the said accused must be sound and in good standing.

“I am determined to enforce the laws on illegal mining no matter the subject, high or low. I will, however, not act on hearsay or mere allegations without more. I will not hesitate to act though where the evidence is hard before the police.

“And I will do so irrespective of the standing of the person or persons involved. That is the true meaning of equality before the law,” he stressed.

Illegal mining over the years has come at a grave cost to the nation and its environment. The Akufo-Addo government upon assuming office in 2017 waged a massive war against the menace.

But the fight which started with a ginormous enthusiasm and energy dwindled and gradually achievements chalked, wiped off.

Thus, President Akufo-Addo at the forum on Wednesday called on all and sundry to participate in eliminating the illicit activity once and for all.

He asked for the dialogue to be “candid, devoid of partisanship or narrow parochial interest.”

The President stressed that a broad-based national consensus around the necessity to stamp out the menace of illegal small-scale mining and the need to support and grow responsible small-scale mining must be prioritised.

“There are aspects of our national life which are of first subject matters of partisan politics. We must however come to the understanding that small scale mining with the requirement to do away with the illegalities in that sector should be beyond partisan politics.

“Some subjects simply cannot be part of our everyday politicking and I use this forum to insist that illegal small-scale mining and matters relating to it should be one of such issues requiring national efforts,” he said.