President John Dramani Mahama has firmly debunked widespread reports suggesting his administration intends to impose a state of emergency in response to the persistent illegal mining crisis, locally referred to as galamsey.
Addressing members of the Ghanaian diaspora in New York on Friday, 25th September, the President clarified that he has at no point entertained or proposed invoking emergency powers, stressing that such severe interventions are strictly reserved for extreme circumstances.
“They said I said a state of emergency. I never ever said that. I never ever said I’ll declare a state of emergency,” President Mahama set the record straight.
Elaborating on his position, President Mahama highlighted that whilst emergency declarations serve a specific purpose during grave national crises, they are inherently short-term solutions that inevitably curb fundamental civil liberties. He further expressed skepticism regarding the feasibility of deploying such an approach against an environmental challenge currently impacting 10 regions nationwide.
“But states of emergency are useful, but you declare them as a last resort. If you declare a state of emergency, you normally declare it in an isolated area and you deal with the issue.
“You concentrate all your energy there, deal with the issue, and you finish it, and you lift the state of emergency,” he added.
According to the President, the state already possesses adequate legal frameworks and law enforcement powers to combat illicit mining. Instead of blanket emergency measures, security agencies are currently carrying out focused, tactical intelligence operations directed at known galamsey strongholds across affected regions.
While conceding the intricate and deeply rooted nature of illegal mining, President Mahama reaffirmed the government’s unwavering resolve to protect water bodies, safeguard livelihoods, and restore degraded forest reserves.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
