The Coalition Against Galamsey–Ghana has urged President John Dramani Mahama to declare a targeted state of emergency in areas devastated by illegal mining, warning that current measures are failing to curb the crisis.
Addressing journalists in Accra at a press conference, Convener of the Coalition, Dr. Ken Ashigbey, expressed misgivings about the President’s recent remarks that much is being done to tackle the menace of illegal small scale mining in the country. He argued illegal mining is still ravaging Ghana’s water bodies and forests at alarming proportions despite numerous interventions to deal with the menace.
“This is not a call for a nationwide emergency,” Dr. Ashigbey clarified. “We are asking for specific action in the worst-hit communities where galamsey has destroyed livelihoods, poisoned rivers, and stripped our forests. Ghanaians are paying the price for the greed of a few.”
He adduced to proposed tariff hikes by the Ghana Water Limited as a palpable evidence of how deeply the problem is impacting ordinary citizens, noting that galamsey-induced pollution has made water treatment more costly.
Dr. Ashigbey stressed that only decisive action from the highest levels of government can halt the devastation. “The situation demands urgency. If we fail to act, the destruction will outpace any efforts to restore our environment.”
The Coalition is calling for intensified security operations, stronger enforcement of mining laws, and emergency rehabilitation of affected water bodies and lands.
