The Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey (GCAG) has strongly criticized President John Mahama’s latest comments on illegal mining, accusing him of downplaying the scale of the crisis and failing to provide the urgency needed to confront what it calls “unprecedented environmental terrorism.”
At a media encounter in Accra on Wednesday, September 10, the President ruled out declaring a state of emergency in the galamsey fight, stressing that such a drastic measure should only be considered as a last resort.
“I’ve been reluctant to implement a state of emergency in the galamsey fight because we’ve not exhausted the powers we even have without a state of emergency,” Mr. Mahama said.
He added that state agencies already have the authority to arrest offenders, confiscate equipment, and enforce forest protection regulations.
“We have the opportunity to arrest anybody, to confiscate any such thing. The laws for forest protection and all that give us enough powers to be able to act.”
The President further noted that while a state of emergency “might sound nice,” it should remain a measure of last resort. “So for now, let’s exercise all the powers we have and if it becomes necessary for a state of emergency, then we look at it.”
But GCAG says the President’s assurances do not match the severity of the situation.
In a statement issued on Thursday, September 11, the Coalition said the President’s position failed to inspire confidence, warning that more than 60 percent of Ghana’s water bodies are already polluted with heavy metals, farmers displaced, and forest reserves destroyed.
The group argued that government’s current posture risks worsening public health, threatening cocoa exports, and accelerating environmental collapse.
It also faulted the President for withdrawing police from anti-galamsey operations, rejecting his claim that security personnel could not distinguish between legal and illegal miners.
According to GCAG, the police had been “fearless” and had helped bring the situation under some control.
On Mr. Mahama’s call for alternative livelihoods before cracking down on illegal mining, GCAG maintained that such a stance emboldens illegality.
The group also dismissed his rejection of a targeted state of emergency, pointing out that as opposition leader, Mr. Mahama himself once joined civil society to demand the same measure.
The Coalition cited the closure of the Kwanyarko Water Treatment Plant in the Central Region due to extreme turbidity as further evidence of worsening conditions. “Government’s handling of the crisis has been a disappointment to us all,” the group concluded.
GCAG announced it will hold a comprehensive media briefing on Monday, September 15, at the International Press Center to outline the next phase of its campaign against galamsey.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
