Hannah Bissiw in hot waters over 33 missing excavators

Dr. Hannah Louisa Bissiw-Kotei, Administrator of the Minerals Development Fund (MDF) is under mounting pressure after 33 excavators mysteriously vanished from an illegal mining site in Akomfre, sparking a storm of public outrage, institutional confusion, and allegations of operational recklessness.

What began as a bold anti-galamsey initiative has quickly morphed into a full-blown credibility crisis.
At the center of it is Dr. Bissiw—also the National Women’s Organiser of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC)—who now appears to be walking back her earlier admissions, as the MDF scrambles to deflect growing criticism over the missing excavators.

Public Admission, Then Reversal

In an interview on Adom FM’s Burning Issues program on July 1, Bissiw disclosed that her team had discovered 40 excavators at a galamsey site but failed to secure the equipment due to the lack of a lowbed truck.

When they returned the following morning, 33 of the machines were gone.

“We seized 40 excavators, but when we came back the next morning, only seven were left,” she stated on air. “I was not happy and confronted the Police Commander.”

That interview became the basis for explosive media reports claiming that dozens of seized excavators had gone “missing” under the watch of both the MDF and the police.

The story sparked instant comparisons to the infamous 2020 “missing excavators” scandal that tainted the Akufo-Addo administration.

But less than 48 hours later, the MDF issued a press release refuting the media narrative, blaming reporters for “misquoting” Dr. Bissiw and insisting that the police were never in custody of the full 40 excavators.

According to the MDF, only seven machines remained at the site when law enforcement arrived, and those were the only ones officially seized.

The remaining 33 had allegedly been moved overnight—before the police could arrive—by unknown persons believed to be part of the illegal operation.

Critics are now accusing Dr. Bissiw of poor planning, weak coordination, and a lack of institutional discipline, especially after she admitted on the same radio program that she does not inform the Interior or Defence Ministries before conducting field operations.

“I don’t tell anyone in advance—not even the Interior Minister—because it could compromise the mission. People may leak the information, even unintentionally,” she said.

While some praised her candidness and boldness in tackling illegal mining head-on, others say her unilateral approach has opened the MDF to legal and operational vulnerabilities.
Her job schedule also does not include moving to galamsey site in the name of fighting the menace.

Institutional Buck-Passing?

Observers say the Minerals Development Fund’s response has done little to ease public concern. The MDF insists that its actions fall squarely within its legal mandate, citing the Minerals Development Fund Act, which empowers it to take community-focused actions to mitigate the impact of mining.

But as the political backlash intensifies, some believe Bissiw and her office are attempting to shift blame onto local police while distancing themselves from operational lapses.

Meanwhile, law enforcement has remained largely silent.

The Ghana Police Service has not issued an official statement, and the fate of the missing 33 excavators remains unknown.