President John Dramani Mahama has stated that his administration is not in a rush to declare a state of emergency in the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, insisting that existing laws provide sufficient authority to tackle the menace effectively.
Speaking at his media encounter in Accra on Wednesday, September 10, the President acknowledged the growing public pressure to take drastic measures against illegal mining activities but cautioned against resorting to a state of emergency prematurely.
“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 explained.
“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.”
He emphasised that a state of emergency should be considered only as a last resort, and reiterated his administration’s commitment to enforcing existing regulations more vigorously.
“Implementing a state of emergency might sound nice, but it should be the 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,” he added.
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