A Rocha Ghana has expressed disappointment with President John Dramani Mahama’s recent comments on the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Deputy Director of the environmental advocacy group, Daryl Bosu, said the president’s stance lacked urgency and fell short of the extraordinary measures needed to tackle the worsening crisis.
Speaking at a media encounter on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, President Mahama dismissed calls for the immediate declaration of a state of emergency, arguing that existing laws were adequate to deal with the menace.
However, in an interview on News Feed on Channel One TV the following day, Mr. Bosu described the president’s position as discouraging and filled with excuses.
“We had a bit of disappointment listening to the president when he was speaking on what has been done, or what is being done, as far as galamsey is concerned. We realised that there were a number of excuses also given by the president. The state of emergency has been relegated to the background, as he said it is going to be a last resort,” he said.
Mr. Bosu further noted that illegal mining activities remain widespread in the Eastern and Western regions, despite the presence of security personnel in affected communities.
“Mining is still actively going on in these regions. These are the circumstances we stood on to ask for a targeted state of emergency. It is unfortunate that now that the government has the power to act, it is rather giving us excuses,” he added.
