By Abigail Kyeremah Owusu
President John Dramani Mahama is not against calls for a state of emergency to fight illegal mining, also known as galamsey, but believes the measure must be taken at the right time, says the Minister in charge of Government Communications and presidential spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu.
Speaking in a phone interview on the GTV Breakfast Show on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Felix Kwakye Ofosu explained that the government is still focused on strengthening existing measures, which are already showing results.
According to him, “The President has never been opposed to a state of emergency. He does not have anything against it, except that he believes it should be done at the right time when it is required.”
He stressed that current interventions by security agencies and regulatory bodies were beginning to make progress, adding that the government needed more time to intensify them before resorting to emergency powers. “The current measures that have been employed have yielded some outcomes which show that if they are intensified, we are going to have total victory over the galamsey menace. We believe that we need some more time to ramp up these measures in order to achieve total victory,” he said.
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, however, assured that the President would not hesitate to escalate the fight if necessary. “If it becomes necessary at any point to escalate it to the level of a state of emergency, the President has declared his willingness to do so,” he noted.
He acknowledged public concern about the continued destruction of water bodies, forests, and farmlands by illegal miners but insisted that progress was being made. “Once the menace continues to exist in some parts of the country, it is natural that it will generate anxiety and concern among members of the public. But we believe that we are making gains which need to be sustained and intensified,” he explained.
Meanwhile, civil society groups and activists have recently renewed calls for a state of emergency, arguing that galamsey is an existential threat to Ghana’s environment, water resources, and food security. Under Article 31 of the 1992 Constitution, the President may declare a state of emergency when the life of the nation is under threat, but such a declaration must be approved by Parliament within 72 hours.
For now, the government maintains that its approach is yielding results, even as it keeps the option of a state of emergency on the table.
