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The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has urged President John Mahama to urgently declare a state of emergency in areas ravaged by illegal mining, amid the poisoning of water bodies and the destruction of forest reserves.
In a statement dated Monday, 15 September, and signed by its President, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, the conference raised alarm over the devastating effects of the menace, known locally as galamsey, describing it as a national security threat and a “cancer in the national soul.”
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The demand comes in the wake of public agitation over President Mahama’s recent remarks on illegal mining during his Presidential Media Encounter in Accra on Wednesday, 10 September, where he expressed reluctance to declare a state of emergency.
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President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi
According to the statement, the President’s response was underwhelming and deeply troubling:
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. We therefore urge the President and his government to declare, without hesitation, a state of emergency in the most affected mining zones and around endangered water bodies.
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The statement added:
Such a declaration would empower extraordinary interventions: curfews in volatile areas, the securing of devastated lands, the dismantling of entrenched criminal syndicates, and the halting of corrupt administrative complicities. The scale of the crisis justifies nothing less.
The bishops further expressed concern over the active involvement of politicians and other influential figures in illegal mining. They lamented:
Disturbingly, some politicians, Members of Parliament, Municipal and District Chief Executives, chiefs, religious figures, and even members of our security services have been implicated, shielding illegal operators for personal gain, granting illicit concessions, or remaining silent when duty demands bold speech. This betrayal of trust cuts to the very marrow of our national identity. We call such leaders to repentance without delay.
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While acknowledging that a mere declaration of a state of emergency may not be sufficient, the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference emphasised the need for a holistic and integrated national strategy. It urged President Mahama to take bold action to lead the charge against illegal mining in order to safeguard the country’s environment and future.