Awal Mohammed, a member of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) communications team, has stated that declaring a state of emergency two months before an election to tackle illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) would not be a wise decision. He emphasized that no rational government would make such a move.
“No sane government anywhere in the world would declare a state of emergency two months to an election and send soldiers to the forest to shoot to kill,” he said on TV3’s “The Big Issue” on Wednesday, October 9.
There have been calls for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to declare a state of emergency to combat the galamsey issue. Kofi Bentil, Vice President of INANI Africa, expressed surprise that this action has not yet been taken, arguing that it’s long overdue. Speaking on the Agenda show with Beatrice Adu, Bentil noted that although the President has made strong statements about fighting galamsey, he has taken the wrong approach.
Meanwhile, Organized Labour remains firm in its decision to go on a nationwide strike starting October 10, despite President Akufo-Addo asking for more time to address their concerns during an October 4 meeting. Organized Labour spokesperson Joshua Ansah confirmed that the strike would proceed unless illegal mining is banned, stating that the government’s proposals so far do not meet their demands.
Other labour leaders have called for a total ban on illegal mining before October 10, which led the government to express surprise at the unions’ decision. In a statement, Information Minister Fatimatu Abubakar highlighted the government’s efforts, including discussions with Organized Labour, steps to revoke regulations on mining in forest reserves, and enhanced enforcement measures to protect water bodies and forest reserves.
The statement also noted that the Attorney-General would collaborate with the Chief Justice for swift adjudication of illegal mining cases, and government supports the call for presidential candidates to sign a pact committing to the fight against illegal mining to depoliticize the issue.
Despite these measures, Organized Labour has maintained its intention to strike, with government reiterating its commitment to fighting illegal small-scale mining and continuing its engagement with stakeholders.
