Declare a state of emergency – Coalition Against Galamsey urges Mahama

The Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey has called on President John Dramani Mahama to urgently declare a state of emergency over the continued destruction of water bodies caused by illegal mining activities, commonly referred to as galamsey.

In a letter addressed to the President, the coalition expressed deep concern over the alarming resurgence of galamsey activities following the December 2024 election, despite commitments by presidential candidates to combat the menace.

According to the letter dated 20th January, Convener Engineer Dr Kenneth Ashigbey cited recent findings from the Ghana Water Company Limited, which highlighted a drastic decline in water quality.

These reports indicated a severe deterioration in water quality, with turbidity levels reaching 14,000 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU) at the Sekyere Hemang Water Treatment Plant, far exceeding the World Health Organisation's maximum permissible level of 5 NTU for processing.

The coalition also condemned recent clashes between illegal miners and military personnel, which resulted in the death of over eight individuals.

The perpetrators have exploited perceived leadership and governmental silence on the matter, leading to an increase in illegal mining activities.

It added:

The tragic incidents at Ntrotroso and Obuasi a few days back—whatever will be the outcome of an official independent investigation called by HE President Mahama, which we fully support—are a timely reminder that this problem is an explosive threat to national security and cohesion.

While reaffirming its commitment to assisting in the fight against galamsey, the coalition outlined key demands:

1. Declare a state of emergency over water bodies and deploy the military to remove illegal miners.

2. Abrogate mining concessions overlapping river buffers and halt all mining within 100 metres of rivers and streams.

3. Enforce Act 995 without bias. Revoke all permits for mining in protected globally significant biodiversity areas (GSBAs).

The coalition stressed the urgency of immediate action to safeguard water resources and national security.

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