News:
November 6, 2025
President John Dramani Mahama’s administration has been called upon to declare state of emergency in the wake of illegal mining activities destroying water bodies in Ghana.
But the Wassa East Member of Parliament, Isaac Adjei Mensah believes there is no need for the declaration of state of emergency considering the various interventions this government has made so far to curb the situation.
Contributing to a statement on the floor on the effect of illegal mining, he stated that state of emergency would not be declared today or tomorrow. Rather the John Mahama government is giving serious attention to the illegal mining menace and trying its best to address the problem; and the NPP minority should support government in its re-setting agenda.
He further pointed out that at the time they were exiting government in the John Mahama’s first administration, ninety-nine mining prospective leniencies had been given out from the colonial time to the John Agyekum Kuffour’s period.
“Unfortunately, from 2017 to 2024, the NPP gave out over two thousand one hundred prospective leniencies, and the records are there. These licenses were given out to their cronies. We currently have eighty-three mining districts and when these prospective mining leniencies were given out, they invited the Chinese who came in with sophisticated equipment. Whiles they were allowed to prospect; they were at the same time engaging in mining”.
So when you talk about galamsey, all small scale miners are involved in galamsey. If you do not have the legal permit to mine, then you are practicing galamsey. The records are available that many of you have about five three concessions and at the proper time we would reveal the records; I get worried when they (NPP) talk about this, the Professor Frimpong Boateng’s report it there, he added.
“Why do you call for a state of emergency, do you know the consequences of that? You created the mess and you never declared a state of emergency, what President Mahama is saying is that we are re-setting Ghana, the mess you created is going to be fixed. And during the 2024 campaign we told Ghanaians there is going to be proper mining, we are engaging in responsible cooperative mining; the proper thing would be done. We promised the small boys, but the owners – the big boys are NPP people and if you dare us we are going to publish your names”.
And in fixing the problem you created you need to be patient with us you do not have the moral right to talk about illegal mining, “you NPP gave permit for people to mine inthe forest can you tell me you were not the government that did that?” He queried.
HE asserted that the government has recovered nine forest reserves and set up task forces to stop the illegal mining and “we would make sure this time no one mines in the rivers you allowed people to mine irresponsibly.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com