Ken Ashigbey, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, has warned that Ghana is getting to a point of no return in the menace of illegal mining, locally called galamsey.
According to Ken Ashigbey, there is a growing boldness of illegal miners and attacks on security personnel that point to a worsening galamsey crisis.
He disclosed that there is evidence that shows that galamsey has spread to some areas in Ghana where it was previously absent about two years ago.
Ken Ashigbey argued that Ghana’s best bet at stopping galamsey is under President John Dramani Mahama but warned that the President would become a lame duck soon, as he would no longer be contesting for office.
Speaking in an interview on ChannelOne TV on August 31, 2026, Ken Ashigbey stated, “There are places where we’re seeing galamsey happen today that was not happening in 2024. The level of impudence that we’re seeing today, we’re not seeing them in 2024. One of the elements that we’ve all considered is the issue of forests, the fact that there’s some good work that has been done.
“But if you look at where we are going now, where now the people are becoming so bold that they can attack eight military men with a colonel, they get police people and they are able to confiscate (their weapons),” he fumed.
He added, “So we are getting to a point of no return, and unfortunately for us, unfortunately, we have a president who does not have another tenure, so our best bet is this current president. Unfortunately, he does not have another two years to deal with it because very soon he will become a lame duck.”
Ken Ashigbey stressed that there is a need for a strong will to ensure that all persons implicated in cases of illegal mining, including politicians and traditional authorities, are dealt with by the laws of the country.
“We need to also deal with the issues that are currently confronting us. So I will not depart from holding the MCEs, DCEs, the chiefs, the police commanders in these communities (accountable),” he said.
Also, Kenneth Ashigbey has called for a selective state of emergency in communities severely affected by illegal mining.
Ken Ashigbey added, “We need to look at the impact that this galamsey is having on us. Look at the death toll that you have announced, and our response to it. I agree the Minister for Land and Natural Resources is really pushing, NAIMOS is pushing, but it’s not enough”.
“What is happening currently lends credence to the idea that we should be asking that in particular communities where you have galamsey, where lives are being lost. These are places where we should declare selected state of emergency and say we need to stop it,” he said.
He added, “Seven lives have been lost today. Could you imagine if it was any of us? All of us in this room, how many of us? We’re not up to seven. It could be any of us who are there, but we’re not treating it with that level of [urgency]”.
“In 2024, when you pass Bonsu, you pass Ayinam, and you went to Osino, the level of impunity that is happening there today was not like in the past. Lake Bosomtwe was not under attack,” he said.
However, Paa Kwesi Schandorf, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, has cautioned against treating a state of emergency as a “magic wand” for tackling illegal mining (galamsey).
According to Paa Kwesi Schandorf, the declaration of a State of emergency on galamsey could impose restrictions on mining activities.
He argued that the declaration will not itself address the underlying causes of illegal mining, adding that it could halt mining activities and impose stringent restrictions.
Paa Kwesi Schandorf highlighted that the practical implications and potential benefits of declaring a state of emergency must first be clearly evaluated.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View, Paa Kwesi Schandorf stated, “We should be careful not to consistently indicate or project a state of emergency as a certain magic wand, if once implemented, would automatically transform our fortunes”.
He further argued that some restrictions and security measures associated with the declaration of a State of emergency are already being implemented by NAIMOS.
“I’m not equating the state of emergency to NAIMOS intervention. I’m just saying that we should be careful not to consistently project that as that magic wand that will transform our fortunes,” he said.
Paa Kwesi Schandorf further stressed that President John Dramani Mahama has maintained that any decision to declare a state of emergency would be guided by security assessments.
The Lands Ministry spokesperson maintained that there is no immediate need for a state of emergency.
Watch the video below:
“We are getting to a point of no return” — Ghana Chamber of Mines CEO Ing. Ken Ashigbey warns that the growing boldness of illegal miners and attacks on security personnel point to a worsening galamsey crisis.
— CITI FM 97.3 (@Citi973) August 31, 2026
He calls for stronger accountability for local authorities and… pic.twitter.com/iJ8qy9cepP
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