Declaring a state of emergency on galamsey will be extreme – Abu Jinapor

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has described calls for a state of emergency to combat illegal mining, known as galamsey, as “draconian and far-reaching.”

Speaking at a media engagement in Accra, the minister acknowledged the widespread public outcry and the growing frustration over the devastating effects of illegal mining on Ghana’s environment.

However, he cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, suggesting that it could lead to deeper social and economic instability.

“Declaring a state of emergency, that is in the bosom of the president, but I find that being far-reaching, [being] a very draconian measure to take.

“So we will engage him and we will have this conversation, and I believe out of that, we maybe need to come up with some consensus that we can work with.”

He stressed that while the fight against galamsey remains one of the government’s top priorities, extreme measures could have unintended consequences on the economy, livelihoods, and governance.

Calls on the govt to combat galamsey

The Trades Union Congress and some civil society organisations have called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to ban all illegal mining and declare a state of emergency in all mining communities.

Organised Labour on Wednesday, September 11, also issued a stern warning to the government, threatening a nationwide strike by the end of September if decisive action is not taken to address the escalating galamsey crisis.

Also, the former Director of the Ghana School of Law, Kwaku Ansah Asare, has called for the impeachment of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

During a recent interview, Ansah Asare expressed his disappointment over the impact of galamsey.

“One of the reasons why, for instance, the President ought to have been impeached long ago. The President put his job on the line and made a promise. He gave us an undertaking, to the whole nation, that if he fails us in the fight, it be at the cost of his job so the price you pay is to resign.”

“The President is still there. He is still talking about galamsey. And the people involved in the galamsey are his own ministers. I very much doubt the President is not involved. If the President were not involved, we would have found an antidote to solving this menace,” he stated.

Adding to his critique, Asare emphasised that Members of Parliament (MPs) must be held to the highest standard, especially when defending the government’s actions regarding galamsey. He described such defence by some MPs and ministers as nonsense.

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