Galamsey: ‘We need a state of emergency now or nothing will work’ – Ahiagbah

The Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has urged government to declare a state of emergency to tackle illegal mining, warning that all previous measures have failed to stem the menace.

This follows the President’s indication 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.

He 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 at his media encounter on Wednesday September 10.

Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, September 13, 2025, Mr Ahiagbah dismissed public fears around the concept of a state of emergency, insisting it is the only option left to protect Ghana’s environment and water resources.

“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 argued that the urgency of the situation, with illegal mining threatening livelihoods, forests and rivers across multiple districts, required extraordinary powers. He said such a declaration would allow the President to impose strict restrictions, including placing all forest reserves and water bodies strictly off limits.

“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.”

According to him, declaring a state of emergency is “not negotiable,” stressing that without it, Ghana risks irreversible environmental destruction.