Acting CEO of the National Petroleum Authority, Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, has defended President John Dramani Mahama’s decision not to declare a state of emergency in response to illegal mining (galamsey), despite mounting public calls.
Speaking on the KeyPoints, Mr. Tameklo argued that a formal state of emergency could lead to severe unintended consequences, both locally and internationally.
He cited global examples, such as the Philippines’ controversial emergency declaration against insurgents that later expanded into the drug trade, leading to extrajudicial killings, and South Korea’s experience under martial law which left lasting reputational damage.
“In this country, whenever excesses occur, nobody looks for who did it. They look at the president. We must be cautious,” he said. on September 13.
Mr. Tameklo further warned that deploying soldiers under emergency powers could create lasting scars in civil-military relations.
He referenced the tragic lynching of a military officer in Denkyira-Obuasi in 2017, noting that the memory of such incidents makes soldiers wary of being entangled in volatile civil disputes.
He stressed that President Mahama has not ruled out a state of emergency completely but indicated it would be the last resort.
“With the security briefings he receives, he believes scaling up interventions already in place can restore our water bodies without resorting to a formal declaration,” Tameklo said.
He called for patience, reminding Ghanaians that Mahama had been in office for only eight months, inheriting a problem that had developed over decades.
“What magic wand can restore water bodies in eight months? Yet the president has moved over 440 excavators, 900 pumping machines, and recovered several forest reserves. That is progress,” he stated.
Mr. Tameklo concluded that while much more is required, Mahama’s measured approach prioritizes sustainable interventions over politically popular but risky shortcuts.
SOURCE: 3news.com
