The Coalition Against Galamsey Ghana (CAGG) has called on the President to immediately declare a state of emergency in areas affected by illegal mining, insisting that the menace has reached catastrophic levels.
Addressing a press conference in Accra on Monday, the Convenor, Kenneth Ashibgey, said the government’s slow response and recent statements from the President himself are only emboldening perpetrators of what he described as “environmental terrorism.”
According to him, the President’s comments at the Jubilee House on September 10 appeared to justify galamsey, a posture that has the potential to undo years of public messaging that sought to make illegal mining unpopular.
“These narratives, whether intended or not, only give oxygen to impunity and embolden criminals who continue to destroy our water bodies and farmlands,” Ashibgey stated.
He noted that the pollution of rivers and destruction of farmlands are depriving over 20 million Ghanaians of potable water and fertile land for crops such as cocoa and oil palm, warning that the country is fast approaching an irreversible environmental and economic disaster.
The coalition also expressed anger at the proposed 280 percent increment in water tariffs being considered by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission at the request of Ghana Water Company Limited, describing it as a direct result of the damage caused by galamsey.
“This is not just a request for tariff increase, it is an invoice being presented to innocent Ghanaians for a mess we did not create. We are being forced to pay for the crimes of others,” Ashibgey said.
He cited the shutdown of the Bunso water treatment plant for almost a year and the frequent breakdown of the Kyebi facility as evidence of the toll the menace is having on national infrastructure.
Mr. Ashibgey argued that the time for rhetoric has long passed and that only bold, decisive measures will salvage the country. He said the constitution provides grounds for the declaration of a state of emergency in situations where public safety, essential services, and livelihoods are under threat, adding that the current circumstances clearly meet that threshold.
He further urged the President to give clear timelines and targets to demonstrate government’s commitment, stressing that “continued tolerance and half-hearted actions only make the situation worse.”
By Bawa Musah
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