Manasseh Azure Awuni, an investigative journalist, has confidently told President John Mahama he feels more hopeless after listening to him speak on the galamsey fight during the media encounter yesterday, September 10, 2025.
Mr Awuni expressed his dissatisfaction with President John Dramani Mahama’s fight against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
The investigative journalist commented on Mahama’s media encounter yesterday, September 10, 2025, in a social media post, writing, “President Mahama has been brilliant tonight. From his first term and now, President Mahama has always demonstrated a strong grasp on all the sectors. He’s not the kind that can be easily fooled by a minister or an appointee”.
Manasseh, however, added, “On galamsey, however, he has been very disappointing. The decay did not start in the last 8 years of Akufo-Addo, as the president said. I was a journalist when President Mahama was president. In his first term, I did not see the seriousness in fighting the menace. And his body language doesn’t seem to show that it will be any different.
The land that is destroyed because of galamsey can produce food crops, so we should stop creating the impression that the only alternative to illegal mining is “deviant acts,” as the president said”.
He further quizzed President Mahama on why he disbanded the IGP’s task force, “Why disband the IGP’s task force instead of just asking them to verify permits when they visit a site? Which sites did the task force invade that turned out to be a legitimate mining concession?
Mr. President, so far, you have done well. Ghanaians are beginning to hope again in many sectors, but in the fight against galamsey, I feel more hopeless after listening to you tonight”.
Additionally, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, the former Tourism Minister, has rebuked President John Mahama following his remarks on GoldBod’s buying gold from illegal miners.
He warned that such a move would amount to legitimising an illegal trade that has already caused a severe ecological menace.
The former lawmaker emphasised that the GoldBod must strictly source its gold from licensed small-scale and large-scale operators.
Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show on Thursday, September 11, Egyapa Mercer stated, “If the President himself says government should buy gold from illegal miners, what signal are we sending? That is acceptable to destroy our water bodies and farmlands so long as the state can buy the gold? This undermines everything we have done to fight galamsey,” he said.
“What we ought to do is strengthen the capacity of legal miners and ensure compliance with regulations. Supporting galamsey through state purchases is not the solution. It will embolden lawlessness and weaken environmental protection,” Mr Mercer stressed.
Also, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, the National Coordinator for the District Roads Improvement Programme (DRIP), has admitted that Ghanaians are not happy with President John Mahama’s recent remarks on illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, during his media encounter.
Vanderpuye noted that many Ghanaians anticipated a more decisive stance on the fight against illegal mining.
The former lawmaker, however, defended President Mahama’s stand on the state of emergency as intelligent.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Thursday, September 11, Vanderpuye noted, “The only response that people were not too happy with was the president’s on galamsey.
I think people came there expecting that he would accept and declare a state of emergency. But listening to various media houses and people’s reactions, it appears that is the one response many were not too happy about.
“I think that he handled it intelligently. He made it clear that indeed there could be a state of emergency, but that would be after he had exhausted all the opportunities and the legal regimes available to him as head of state. And indeed, we haven’t exhausted them yet—we still have many avenues to use,” he explained.
Vanderpuye added, “I never thought the fight against galamsey was going to be an event, but rather a process. There are a number of interventions in place, such as the Blue Water Guards and others. It tells you that there is a plan, except that the plans in place have not yet yielded the results people are expecting”.
Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has said that the implementation of a state of emergency might sound nice, but it should be the last resort.
According to John Mahama, his administration is not in a rush to declare a state of emergency in the fight against illegal mining.
He noted growing public pressure to take drastic measures on galamsey but warned against resorting to a state of emergency prematurely.
Speaking at his media encounter in Accra on Wednesday, September 10, John Mahama explained, “I’ve been reluctant to implement a state of emergency in the galamsey fight because we’ve not exhausted the powers we even have without a state of emergency”.
“We have the opportunity to arrest anybody, to confiscate any such thing. The laws for forest protection and all that give us enough powers to be able to act”, he added.
John Mahama highlighted that a state of emergency should be considered only as a last resort.
“Implementing a state of emergency might sound nice, but it should be the last resort. So for now, let’s exercise all the powers we have — and if it becomes necessary for a state of emergency, then we look at it,” he added.
John Mahama further announced that his government is intensifying efforts to combat illegal mining, which has long threatened Ghana’s environment and natural resources.
He announced that the task force’s operations have led to the apprehension of hundreds of excavators, water pumps, and other heavy equipment used in galamsey activities.
“We’re taking decisive action to protect our environment and natural resources from destruction. A dedicated national task force is in place, actively combating the menace of illegal mining.
“As a result of their operations, hundreds of excavators, water pumps and other heavy equipment have been seized. Disrupting the networks that have long exploited our rivers. Nine forest reserves have been reclaimed from the grips of illegal miners,” he said.
John Mahama also added that his administration has not granted a single mining licence for operations within Ghana’s forest reserves after his return to office.
“Let me be clear. Since my administration resumed office, not a single licence has been issued to any company to mine in our forest reserves”, he confidently added.
See the post below:
You've been brilliant overall, but disappointing on this menace, Mr. President. pic.twitter.com/l78ylXiK6C
— Manasseh Azure Awuni (@Manasseh_Azure) September 10, 2025