President John Dramani Mahama has stated that he is hesitant to declare a state of emergency to address illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey. He believes that the nation hasn’t fully utilized the existing legal framework to combat the issue.
According to the President, the current laws provide sufficient authority to effectively tackle the problem.
He made these comments during a media engagement with journalists on Wednesday, September 10, 2025.
When asked why he has found it difficult to declare a state of emergency, he responded that it was premature to do so, adding that such a declaration should only be considered as a last resort.
“I’ve been reluctant to implement a state of emergency in the galamsey fight because we’ve not exhausted the powers we even have without a state of emergency,” President Mahama explained.
“We have the opportunity to arrest anybody, to confiscate any such thing. The laws for forest protection and all that give us enough powers to be able to act.”
“Implementing a state of emergency might sound nice, but it should be the last resort. So for now, let’s exercise all the powers we have — and if it becomes necessary for a state of emergency, then we look at it,” he added.
