The Convener of the Coalition Against Galamsey, Ghana, Dr Ken Ashigbey, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to declare a state of emergency in areas affected by illegal mining, insisting that the conditions for such a move already exist.
Speaking on Citi FM on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, Dr Ashigbey recalled that President Mahama himself had previously described galamsey as a national emergency, yet state institutions had been slow to back those words with decisive action.
“We know the president is not one to implement laws in a draconian manner. But under a state of emergency, we can be specific in how we apply the law and what exactly we do,” he explained.
Dr Ashigbey cited the destruction of water bodies as a compelling justification for such a declaration.
“Currently, if you take all our water bodies, there is no fishing taking place in them. But the ‘chamfans’ are still on them. In many places, people have blocked portions of rivers and are mining illegally. You can declare a state of emergency in those areas,” he said.
He further pointed to forest reserves which, despite some reclamation efforts, continue to suffer widespread devastation.
“The president said they have reclaimed about nine. Their grading used to be red and now some have improved to amber. But people are still destroying them. You can declare a state of emergency in those as well, so that no excavator moves into those communities,” he added.
According to him, Article 39 of the Constitution provides sufficient grounds for declaring a national emergency, stressing that the current scale of environmental destruction meets those criteria.
“The president has said himself that it is a national emergency. The ingredients that constitute a national emergency under Article 39 are all clearly evident. So, I don’t know what national security is not telling the president,” Dr Ashigbey lamented.
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