President John Dramani Mahama has said his administration will not rush into declaring a state of emergency in the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, stressing that existing laws already provide sufficient authority to address the menace.
Speaking at his maiden media encounter in Accra on Wednesday, September 10, the President acknowledged growing public calls for tougher measures but cautioned against resorting to emergency powers 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,” he 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.”
President Mahama emphasised that a state of emergency should remain a measure of last resort, while assuring Ghanaians of his government’s commitment to intensifying enforcement under existing regulations.
“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.
