The office of Dr.
Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) vice-presidential candidate, has denied reports claiming that NAPO promised to return confiscated excavators to their owners.
This follows a viral video in which NAPO is alleged to have stated, "We will give everyone his excavator to work in his concession to make money to support the economic growth of their communities." In a statement issued on Wednesday, NAPO's spokesperson, Fiifi Boafo, clarified that during a community engagement at Bogoso in the Prestea Huni Valley Constituency on Sunday, September 8, 2024, NAPO discussed the NPP's plan to facilitate small-scale mining under strict regulations that ensure environmental protection.
Boafo emphasized that the statement being circulated is false, and noted that the full 20-minute video of NAPO's address does not include the comment attributed to him. "A doctored Tik Tok video in circulation claiming to be the source of the reportage does not reflect the statement made by the Vice-Presidential Candidate." "We wish to emphasize that Dr.
Prempeh was talking about granting access to people interested in small scale mining and who could only do that in a responsible and sustainable manner in accordance with the laws of Ghana," Boafo further underscored.
He urged the public to disregard the reportage.