Former presidential staffer and aide to ex-Vice President Bawumia, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has expressed frustration over Ghana’s worsening galamsey crisis, warning that the country’s water bodies are on the brink of collapse.
“The Minister has been screaming into the ears of the President. For Christ sake, what is Mr. President waiting for… Our water bodies are dying!” Aboagye wrote on social media as sighted by MyNewsGh in a reaction to the escalating situation.
His comments resurfaced in the context of a September 29, 2024 post by Sam George, who had then accused the NPP government of failing to act decisively.
The Ningo-Prampram MP had stated: “The man who is paid to be President has the ultimate power to end this in a week if he wants. He is Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces for Christ’s sake.”
Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has explained why his administration has not declared a state of emergency in tackling illegal mining. According to him, other avenues must be pursued before such drastic measures are taken.
“We’ve not exhausted the measures we have. It should be the last resort. For now, let’s exercise the powers we have, and if it becomes necessary for a state of emergency, we have to go to parliament, but for now, we’ve given the security service enough powers to deal with people who are engaged in galamsey,” Mahama told journalists on Wednesday, September 10, 2025.
He further stressed that his government has maintained a firm stance against mining in protected areas.
“Since I took over as president, not a single license has been issued to any company to mine in forest reserves. The repeal of LI 2462 is therefore intended just to crystallize in law what my government has been demonstrating in practice,” Mahama added.
