President John Dramani Mahama has stated that his administration is not in a rush to declare a state of emergency in the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, insisting that existing laws provide sufficient authority to tackle the menace effectively.
Speaking at his media encounter in Accra on Wednesday, September 10, the President acknowledged the growing public pressure to take drastic measures against illegal mining activities but cautioned against resorting to a state of emergency prematurely.
“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.”
“Look in my face, do I look like a supreme leader? I’m a democrat, true and true. Even when we attained two-thirds of Parliament, I said we’re not going to roughshod over the minority and that we are going to give an opportunity for democracy to flourish,” he said.
He further stressed that the removal of the Chief Justice was carried out strictly in line with constitutional provisions.