President John Dramani Mahama has described the declaration of a state of emergency, in the fight against illegal mining commonly referred to as galamsey as a measure of last resort.
He stressed that current legal frameworks are robust enough to address the issue.
During his maiden media engagement held in Accra on Wednesday, September 10, the President responded to mounting public calls for tougher action against galamsey operations.
While acknowledging the urgency of the situation, he urged caution in invoking emergency powers prematurely.
“I’ve been reluctant to implement a state of emergency in the galamsey fight because we’ve not exhausted the powers we even have without a state of emergency.
“We have the opportunity to arrest anybody, to confiscate any such thing. The laws for forest protection and all that give us enough powers to be able to act,” President Mahama explained.
He further clarified that his administration remains committed to intensifying enforcement of existing laws, and that any move toward emergency measures would only be considered if all other avenues prove insufficient.
“Implementing a state of emergency might sound nice, but it should be the last resort. So for now, let’s exercise all the powers we have and if it becomes necessary for a state of emergency, then we look at it,” he said.
