Awula Serwaa, Executive Director of Eco-Conscious Citizens, has expressed disappointment over the failure of Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister-Designate for Lands and Natural Resources, to propose declaring illegal mining a state of emergency.
Speaking on ABC News GH on Monday, January 27, she called for bold measures to tackle the galamsey menace, which she described as an “existential threat.”
“I must say that I am disappointed that the Minister-Designate did not mention he will declare it a state of emergency. Time is not on our side,” she lamented, adding that pausing community mining was crucial.
Her comments come after Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah announced plans for a comprehensive review of unlawfully acquired mining licenses during his vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee.
While he criticized the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government’s handling of galamsey as a failure, Awula Serwaa argued that the current approach lacks the urgency required to address what she termed “environmental terrorism.”
She warned, “Even with the big ones, we are finding it difficult to manage… The priority is to declare a state of emergency so we can arrest the canker.”
As the menace continues to grow, her remarks stresses the urgent need for decisive and immediate action to protect Ghana’s environment.
