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Richard Ahiagbah, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) director of communications, has called on the government to impose a state of emergency in order to combat illegal mining, pointing out that all prior attempts to do so have failed.
This comes after the president made it clear that his government is not in a haste to declare a state of emergency in order to combat illegal mining, or galamsey, and that current laws give them the power to properly combat the threat.
He warned against declaring a state of emergency too soon, but he acknowledged the mounting public pressure to take strong action against illicit mining operations.
“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,” President Mahama clarified during his Wednesday, September 10 media appearance.
He warned against declaring a state of emergency too soon, but he acknowledged the mounting public pressure to take strong action against illicit mining operations.
During his media encounter on Wednesday, September 10, President Mahama stated, “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.”
Speaking on Saturday, September 13, 2025, on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue, Mr. Ahiagbah allayed public concerns over the idea of a state of emergency, stating that it is the only remaining course of action to safeguard Ghana’s water resources and ecology.
“This thing, State of Emergency that people are telling us and making it look scary, it is not. It is what we need now or nothing will work,” he said. “Akufo-Addo tried, close to a state of emergency, and it didn’t work. What you need now is a complete shutdown.”
Mr. Ahiagbah maintained that special powers were necessary due to the severity of the issue, which included unlawful mining endangering rivers, forests, and livelihoods in numerous districts. According to him, the President might impose severe limitations with such a decree, such as putting all water bodies and forest areas under strict prohibition.
“Anybody seen on that, regular process will not work, that is part of the declaration,” he explained. “You suspend the constitution in terms of application in that order and ensure that certain seriousness is brought to the fight so that we can curtail or deal with that menace because it is that dangerous and everything else has been tried.”
Declaring a state of emergency is “not negotiable,” he said, emphasizing that Ghana runs the risk of irreparable environmental damage if it doesn’t.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
