Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Lands and Natural Resources Committee, Akwasi Konadu, has said President John Dramani Mahama is unable to declare a state of emergency on illegal mining because Ghana’s economy is heavily dependent on gold revenue.
President John Mahama at his media encounter in Accra on Wednesday, September 10, stressed that his administration would not rush into declaring a state of emergency over galamsey, insisting such a drastic measure must remain a last resort.
While acknowledging the growing public clamour for tougher action, the President maintained that existing laws already empower the state to act decisively.
“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,” he said.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Citi FM on Thursday, September 11, 2025, Mr Konadu said the President’s comments during his media engagement on Wednesday only confirmed that his government lacks the political will to halt galamsey.
“To declare a state of emergency does not necessarily mean that you’re putting soldiers on the road and making sure that they fire people as we’ve seen in Manso Tontokrom and the rest where Assembly members and individuals have been shot at. But it requires that you are putting a total halt on that. The President’s response is very shameful and I find it that he’s never going to be able to do that,” he explained.
He argued that President Mahama’s own words betrayed the reason behind his reluctance. According to him, the President has openly admitted that Ghana’s economy is being sustained by gold exports, making it politically impossible for him to stop illegal mining.
“Because when he was asked, from the trajectory from where he came from, it meant that currently the economy is being sustained by gold and the sale of gold by the country. Because when he met the Bishops Conference he told them that we must also be prepared to sacrifice. When we do that the economy is going to help. Yesterday he reiterated that point and made the point that the high levels at which we are seeing small scale illegal activities is as a result of the high gold prices and he cited the example of Peru which I thought was very unnecessary on his part,” Mr Konadu said.
The Manhyia North MP insisted that Ghana needs urgent action to halt environmental destruction, not excuses based on gold prices or international comparisons.
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