The Convenor of the Anti-Galamsey Coalition, Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, has urged the government to declare a state of emergency in communities heavily impacted by illegal mining, arguing that extraordinary measures are needed to fight the menace.
His call comes in the wake of the August 6 helicopter crash that claimed eight lives. The victims were en route to an anti-galamsey event in Obuasi when the incident occurred. Following the tragedy, the government announced a renewed crackdown on illegal mining.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View with Sammi Wiafe on Monday, August 18, Dr. Ashigbey insisted that galamsey must be treated as a national security crisis.
“We need to deal with this as a national security crisis, and it ought to be dealt with. Another thing we have been talking about is the state of emergency; we’re not saying state of emergency in the whole of the country, not even the whole of the district. This particular community, this thing is happening, declare a state of emergency,” he stressed.
Citing Dunkwa in the Central Region as an example, he added:
“Offin River in Dunkwa, for example, you can declare a state of emergency and say nobody should go into that water, so that you give special powers to the police, Forestry Commission to be able to deal with these people [galamseyers].”
Dr. Ashigbey reiterated the Coalition’s position that strong enforcement remains critical to protecting Ghana’s water bodies and forest reserves from the destruction caused by galamsey.