The Minister of State in charge of Government Communications and MP for Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has announced that government will permanently deploy soldiers to forty-four (44) areas identified as hotspots of illegal mining.
He explained that this decision forms part of the administration’s renewed commitment to combating the menace of galamsey, which continues to threaten water bodies and forest reserves across the country. The move also comes amid mounting public pressure on President John Mahama to declare a state of emergency in galamsey-affected areas.
Speaking in an interview with Channel One TV on Tuesday, 16 September, Kwakye Ofosu revealed that the new strategy will provide a stronger and more sustainable approach to the fight against illegal mining.
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He stated:
All the 44 areas that are threatened by galamsey, there is going to be a permanent military presence.
He stressed that unlike previous interventions, which saw security personnel deployed temporarily, this time the military will remain on the ground.
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“In the past, they would go and flush out the characters engaged in galamsey and then leave, but now they will have permanent military presence,” he explained, adding, “all the rivers we have will have permanent military presence.”
Meanwhile, calls for President Mahama to declare a state of emergency in areas devastated by galamsey continue to grow. The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference is the latest body to add its voice.
In a statement dated Monday, 15 September, and signed by its President, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, the Conference warned that illegal mining has become a national security threat and described it as a “cancer in the national soul.”
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While acknowledging that a declaration of a state of emergency alone may not fully resolve the crisis, the Bishops’ Conference urged government to adopt a holistic, integrated national strategy to address the issue. It called on President Mahama to lead a bold and decisive campaign to protect the country’s environment, natural resources, and future generations.
