President John Dramani Mahama says his government is not rushing to declare a state of emergency in the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey. According to him, existing laws already give the state enough power to tackle the menace effectively.
Speaking at a media encounter in Accra on Wednesday, September 10, the President acknowledged the mounting public pressure for drastic action 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 already have,” Mahama explained. “The laws on forest protection and related areas give us enough authority to arrest offenders and confiscate equipment.”
He stressed that a state of emergency should be treated as a last resort, not the first option. For now, he said, government would focus on enforcing the existing regulations more vigorously.
“Declaring a state of emergency might sound nice, but it should come only after we’ve tried everything else,” he added. “If it becomes necessary, then we will consider it.”
