The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has dismissed suggestions that declaring a state of emergency is the ultimate solution to tackling illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
According to the Ministry’s Media Relations Officer, Paa Kwesi Schandorf, advocates must avoid presenting such declarations as a magic wand, insisting that measures typically associated with emergency powers are already being implemented.
He explained that unlike in the past when a state of emergency was necessary, the current government has made significant progress in curbing illegal mining activities.
“Declaring a state of emergency means the military will come into full scope and we have done military deployment already,” he clarified, stressing that current interventions are yielding positive results.
Schandorf further noted that the country has moved out of the “red zone” and therefore the focus should shift to consolidating gains made in the fight against galamsey.
He urged stakeholders to prioritize education and sustained enforcement rather than calling for extraordinary measures, assuring that government remains committed to ending the menace.
