The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications and Convener of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, Ken Ashiegbey, has called on President John Mahama to declare a state of emergency to tackle the worsening menace of illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
Describing the situation as an “ecocidal genocide” being perpetrated against Ghanaians, Mr. Ashiegbey said declaring a state of emergency is now critical if the government is truly committed to halting the environmental destruction.
He challenged the President to spell out the benchmark that would compel him to invoke emergency powers to deal with the galamsey crisis, which has reached unprecedented levels.
“Given the scale of devastation, the President should tell us his definition of success in the galamsey fight,” he stated. “What key performance indicators have been given to the various chief executives in galamsey-endemic areas, including police chiefs, to measure their performance in this fight?”
Mr. Ashiegbey also demanded transparency on the involvement of political actors in illegal mining. He questioned the status of investigations into alleged ruling party kingpins implicated in galamsey activities, particularly in light of recent revelations by the Attorney General that an opposition member is expected to be arraigned in court next Monday over galamsey-related offences.
The call by Mr. Ashiegbey adds to growing pressure on government to take decisive, non-partisan action to confront illegal mining, which continues to devastate Ghana’s water bodies, forests, and farmlands.
