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“Galamsey has become worse; the time to act is now” – Acting CJ tells Mahama gov’t

News“Galamsey has become worse; the time to act is now” - Acting CJ tells Mahama gov’t

Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, the acting Chief Justice, has said illegal mining has become worse.

The acting Chief Justice called for the government to take action on galamsey.

Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie highlighted that the government’s ban on mining in forest reserves will show seriousness in tackling galamsey.

He urged the Mahama government to repeal L.I. 2462, which he suggested is a good place to start in the galamsey fight.

Speaking at the 2025 Ghana Bar Association Conference, held in the Upper West regional capital, Wa, on Monday, September 15, 2025, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie stated, “Galamsey has become worse; the time to act is now”.

He added, “We cannot continue to dither in September 2025 on the repeal of L.I. 2462 that has permitted mining in forest reserves. It is a good place to start if we sincerely want to win the war against galamsey. The time to act is now without any further delay”.

However, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the minister of state in charge of Government Communications, has dared anyone who says illegal mining (galamsey) has become worse under President John Mahama to provide evidence to back their claims.

The Minister noted that the claims must be backed with empirical evidence and not just guesswork.

According to Kwakye Ofosu, the Mahama-led government is dedicated to combating galamsey.

Speaking during an interview on Joy FM on Monday, September 15, Kwakye Ofosu stated, “Those who say galamsey has worsened under President Mahama must prove it with empirical evidence. We cannot allow perceptions or political point-scoring to overshadow facts”.

The Presidential Spokesperson revealed that Mahama is keeping the option of a state of emergency open and will only go that route if the situation becomes necessary.

He added, “Let me indicate that on the matter of state of emergency, the president said that there are conventional approaches that are currently being deployed that he believes would help us achieve the objective of wiping out this canker once and for all. And that when it becomes necessary, a state of emergency may be deployed”.

“It actually means that you set aside laws as they are and adopt extraordinary, sometimes very harsh, very drastic measures in order to beat back a particular problem.

“It comes with its own difficulties, and therefore, the declaration of the same must be based on tangible reasoning. You must have a sufficient basis to do that so that you are very clear that the consequences that will result will be worth the effort”, he noted.

Felix Kwakye Ofosu added, “He believes earnestly that currently, some gains are being made that could be sustained. And as and when we get to a stage when it is absolutely necessary to deploy those measures that will create some absolute discomfort for ordinary citizens, and may involve measures that may not necessarily be in tandem with the way that our laws should function, he will take the decision”.

“The government appreciates the genuine concern surrounding the issue of galamsey because of the threats that it poses. It has naturally become an emotive subject. People are deeply concerned about it, and they want urgent action. The government understands that fully, and such urgent action is underway,” he said.

Kwakye Ofosu added that John Mahama, since becoming president, has done everything necessary to ensure that we combat galamsey.

He further added that Mahama never gave any timelines for ending illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

The minister explained, “To be fair, if you want to assess a president, you will have to take him by his own words and actions, the commitments that he made. President Mahama did not give any timelines to ending galamsey”.

“He said at the media encounter that he was not under any illusion that by the wink of the magic wand, galamsey will end because it is an insidious problem,” Mr Kwakye Ofosu added.

He added, “Government fully appreciates the genuine concerns people have expressed on galamsey, and these are not matters we take lightly”.

“We cannot pretend it is an easy fight, but what we can assure Ghanaians is that the government has not lost sight of its duty to protect lives, livelihoods and the environment,” he noted.

Meanwhile, the Coalition Against Illegal Mining has renewed its demand for the government to declare a state of emergency in areas affected by galamsey.

The Coalition Against Illegal Mining highlighted that galamsey is a grave threat to livelihoods, public health, and national security.

On Monday, September 15, the Convenor of the Coalition, Dr. Ing. Kenneth Ashigbey, addressing the press, stated, “We are, therefore, making the following demands of the government in response to the president’s statement on deploying a state of emergency as a last resort.

One, by Article 31 9A and B, the circumstances under which a state of emergency may be declared include the current galamsey situation in which the actions being taken by the environmental criminals are calculated to deprive large communities of potable water, which is an essential of life,” he said.

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