The Small-Scale Miners Association has dismissed calls for a state of emergency over illegal mining, arguing that the situation remains under control and can be resolved without extreme measures.
Speaking on Prime News on ABC News GH, the National Communications Director of the association, Abdul Razak Alhassan, stated that while illegal mining is a concern, there is no justification for drastic action.
“We have not gotten to that,” he said in response to mounting pressure for emergency intervention.
Alhassan defended the government’s handling of the crisis, praising the Lands and Natural Resources Minister for engaging with miners in discussions to address the issue.
“We fully support what the sector minister is doing,” he stated, emphasizing that the government has been receptive to their concerns. He further insisted that small-scale miners operating legally should not be blamed for the destruction of Ghana’s water bodies.
“We don’t have any illegal small-scale mining in Ghana. If it is illegal, it is indeed illegal,” he stressed, calling for better enforcement against unlawful operators instead of broad punitive measures.
He also dismissed calls to revoke L.I. 2463, which regulates mining in forest reserves, clarifying that the law does not permit mining in protected areas.
Instead of a state of emergency, he proposed an ultimatum to illegal miners, insisting that authorities could “fly all the illegal miners out.” As environmental activists demand stronger action, the debate over Ghana’s galamsey crisis continues to intensify.
