President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, has indicated that he is reluctant to declare a state of emergency in the fight against galamsey because the country hasn’t exhausted all the measures available to help fight the menace.
According to him, the security agencies have been given all the powers to deal with the menace, and therefore, the country must bank its hopes on them to fight the menace.
He says he will be forced to declare a state of emergency only when the existing measures put in place to fight the menace are exhausted and results are not achieved.
“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,” he said in an interaction with the media on Wednesday, September 10, 2025.
President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, also indicated that since he took over as president, not a single license has been issued to any company to mine in forest reserves.
According to him, the repeal of LI 2462 is therefore intended just to crystallize in law what his government has been demonstrating in practice.
To him, his government is committed to protecting Ghana’s forest reserves and will not allow them to be destroyed.
“Let me be clear: since my administration resumed office, 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 crystalize in law what we have already demonstrated in practice, which is to protect these forest reserves,” he said.
On other measures undertaken in the fight against illegal mining, the president indicated that “a coordinated investigation with the Ministry of Lands and Resources, 400 excavators have been seized”.
