Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, has warned that Ghana is on a suicidal path if the country does not win the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Ablakwa admitted that the John Mahama-led government, of which he is a part, can do better in the fight against galamsey.
He, however, expressed confidence in President Mahama’s commitment to tackling the galamsey menace, adding that he believes the government will succeed.
According to Ablakwa, he still stands by all the pronouncements he made in past about illegal mining.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on Wednesday, September 17, Ablakwa stated, “Let me be honest with you, on galamsey, I believe that we can do better. And all the propositions I made in the past, I stand by them. We’re on a suicidal path if we don’t stop this. We must take this up and win this war,” he said.
Also, the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, in a statement issued on Monday, September 15, 2025, once again reiterated its calls for President John Dramani Mahama to declare a state of emergency on illegal mining (galamsey).
According to the Catholic Bishops’ in January and May 2025, they met President Mahama, but his response to their demand for a declaration of a state of emergency was unsatisfactory.
The Catholic Bishops cried out that once-pristine rivers such as the Pra, Ankobra, Birim, Offin, and Ayensu are now poisoned with mercury and toxic effluents.
They cited that turbidity levels in the Ayensu River have reached 32,000 NTU compared to the Ghana Water Company’s treatment threshold of 2,500 NTU, warning that purification is now impossible.
The Bishops wrote, “Illegal and unregulated mining, commonly known as galamsey, has become one of the gravest afflictions of our time.
It ravages our rivers and forests, poisons our soil, endangers public health, corrupts governance, erodes our moral fibre, and extinguishes livelihoods.
This is not a routine challenge to be managed with half-measures; it is a national emergency requiring decisive, extraordinary response,” the bishops said.
The Bishop highlighted that the desecration of creation through galamsey is a grave sin against God.
“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it. To desecrate creation through galamsey is not only an offence against neighbour; it is a grave sin against God Himself, the Creator and Owner of all,” they declared.
The Catholic Bishops statement added, “Farmers can no longer trust the land to sustain their families, and our capacity to feed the nation diminishes. Children, seduced by the mirage of quick riches, forsake school for perilous pits, many losing their lives in collapses that are both tragic and preventable.”
“This betrayal of trust cuts to the very marrow of our national identity. We call such leaders to repentance without delay.”
The Catholic Bishops further expressed dismay at President Mahama’s refusal to declare a state of emergency.
They added, “In both January and May 2025, delegations of our Conference raised these concerns directly with him, only to be met with unsatisfactory responses focused narrowly on economic gain.
“At his ‘Meet the Press’ session of 10 September 2025, he dismissed calls for a state of emergency. This is profoundly troubling. The hour is late. Delay is betrayal. Now, not tomorrow, not later, is the time to act.”
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, however, warned that declaring a state of emergency in galamsey-affected areas may be necessary, but it is not sufficient to address the full extent of the devastation.
“While urgent, a declaration is insufficient. Ghana requires a holistic, integrated national strategy”, the statement read.
According to the Bishops, the government must prosecute not only the poor but also the powerful.
“His government must prosecute not only the poor but also the powerful; not only the weak but also the well-connected. Without courage, no policy will stand, no law will hold, no declaration will succeed.”
“This struggle is not merely about law enforcement. It concerns the very soul of Ghana. It is about whether we choose life or death, blessing or curse. With God’s grace, let us choose life, for ourselves, for our children, and for generations yet unborn.”
Meanwhile, Andy Appiah-Kubi, a former Member of Parliament for Asante Akim North, has called for a ‘wartime’ approach and presidential commitment in the fight against galamsey.
According to Andy Appiah-Kubi, galamsey is a war situation, and President John Mahama must show commitment.
He further asserted that when Akufo-Addo declared he would put his presidency on the line to fight galamsey, it was just words.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr Appiah-Kubi stated, “When the NPP was in power, I spoke against our commitment to fight galamsey. Even in my constituency, I did not allow galamsey operations. All those who made an attempt were arrested and handed over to the police”.
“I never got afraid and stood my ground to stop the menace, even if it meant putting my life on the line. When Akufo-Addo declared he would put his presidency on the line, it was just words. True commitment must trickle down to those mandated to fight,” he argued.
The former lawmaker stressed, “If the President is committed, only one battalion can fight them. This is like a war situation; if the illegal miners want to threaten our survival, we must defeat them before they defeat us”.