The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has expressed his dissatisfaction with the handling of matters concerning small-scale mining the country by the ruling party.

According to him, unlike the treatment received by Chinese galamsey queen, Aisha Huang, when she and other cohorts were arrested for illegal mining in 2018, Ghanaian galamsey miners were tried and jailed, while she was extradited to their home country.

“Small scale mining is currently a very sad venture. The NPP claimed they were fighting galamsey, instead, they arrested hard-working small-scale miners and put them before the court and behind bars,

"But the police arrested the Chinese miner called the Galamsey Queen and didn't put her behind bars. The NPP freely let her go back to her country without facing the consequences. But our children are behind bars as we stand here," he said.

Mr Mahama disclosed that should the NDC come into office, they will grant the arrested miners amnesty, as he believes that are remorseful about their crimes. As such, it is best that they are reintegrated back into society.

"I believe they are remorseful towards every law they must have faltered, we will release them and give them another chance."

The Flagbearer reiterated his promise of instituting a Gold Board initiative, one he believes will have more success in fighting galamsey whilst creating sustainable jobs for the people.

“The NDC is introducing a system that will make things better, we won’t discriminate nor will we repeat the mistakes of the past and the current, we welcome every party and individual into having a fair share in the profits of mining, we won't allow hunger to feed off any Ghanaian citizen."

He added that every mining district in Ghana will be assigned professionals from the University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa to regulate and train all small scale miners so that nobody is hurt in the mining process.

John Mahama urged the people of the Odum-Banso and the Western Region to vote massively for him in order to make his promises a reality.