Professor Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua of the School of Law, University of Ghana, has expressed concerns about the government’s reluctance to declare a state of emergency in the fight against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
According to him, the refusal to take this drastic step is largely because galamsey is connected to political party or campaign financing.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, October 12, Prof. Appiagyei-Atua noted that, the government has been under increasing pressure from various groups, including organised labour, to declare a state of emergency to curb the environmental destruction caused by galamsey.
However, the government has consistently resisted these calls, raising questions about its commitment to tackling the issue head-on.
The legal luminary emphasised that declaring a state of emergency would empower the government to enforce stricter measures to halt illegal mining activities, particularly in areas heavily impacted by environmental degradation.
However, he believes that financial ties between the government and some individuals involved in the illegal mining sector are hindering such decisive action.
Prof. Appiagyei-Atua urged the government to prioritise national interest over political connections, warning that the consequences of inaction could have long-term detrimental effects on Ghana’s environment and public health.
“Government is hesitant because galamsey involves campaign financiers. The fear is that when they lose these financiers, they will lose their support and lose the election. So the issue is not really about the young boys and their votes.”
“Galamsey is a means for these financiers to reap in their money which they have invested into these politicians,” he stated.
He noted that this is largely the reason why the two main political parties cannot deal with the canker.
He says the situation will only get worse when the election is over. He believes that one of the ways to tackle the menace effectively is to get the two main presidential candidates to make clear commitments to the fight against the canker before the election.
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