The Third Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Yakubu Abanga Alhassan, has denied any involvement in illegal mining activities and has publicly pledged to resign from his position if credible evidence is presented against him.

His comments come in the wake of a directive from Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, calling on the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to launch a full-scale investigation into alleged illegal mining activities involving Abanga and the NDC’s National Organiser, Joseph Yamin.

The directive, issued on July 15, 2025, is part of a broader crackdown on illegal mining as outlined in President John Dramani Mahama’s Reset Agenda, which seeks to restore discipline to Ghana’s natural resource governance system.

In the letter, the Attorney-General urged EOCO to treat the matter with urgency, noting the grave threat illegal mining poses to Ghana’s water bodies, forest reserves, and rural livelihoods. EOCO has also been instructed to expand its investigation to include others potentially involved, with particular attention to issues raised in the Prof. Frimpong-Boateng report on illegal mining.

Speaking to on Citi Eyewitness News on Wednesday, July 16, Abanga firmly stated that he has never directed any task force to extort money from miners, nor has he deployed excavators to forest reserves or water bodies.

“I have also said I will put my position on the line—the National Vice Chairman position on the line—that should at any point in time anybody is able to provide credible evidence that I have sent a taskforce to extort monies from miners or sent excavator to the forest reserve or waterbodies, then I will resign as the National Vice Chairman of the party,” he declared.

“I hold my integrity very high and I guard my integrity very jealously. I will not sit down for anybody to impugn it,” Abanga added.