Dennis Miracles Aboagye, an aide to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has rejected calls by a section of the public for a declaration of a state of emergency in fighting illegal mining, otherwise known as ‘galamsey’.
He says a state of emergency in itself will not end the menace, but rather, the government should ensure environmental laws are duly enforced with enhanced public education to reorient the minds of the people.
He cited several measures adopted by the Akufo-Addo administration, including a ban on small-scale mining, which failed to eradicate the issue and even exacerbated it after the ban was lifted.
Speaking on Citi FM on Monday, September 22, 2025, Aboagye emphasised that reorienting the public on the dangers of illegal mining is the most effective way to address the problem.
“Again, I keep saying politics is what is causing the problem for us in the fight against galamsey. I have never supported the call for a state of emergency. I didn’t support it when we were in government, and I don’t support it even now because I don’t think that is the solution,” he stated.
He stressed the need not to impose a ban on small-scale mining, saying it failed when it was implemented by the previous administration and it is not going to yield any new results if implemented today.
“I never supported the ban on small-scale mining… I didn’t support it then and I won’t support it now and my reason is simple. We implemented the ban on small-scale mining for two years, it worked, we saw the water bodies clearing up. Then when we lifted it, upon all the initiatives the government put in place, we still saw galamsey come back. We can’t go and implement a ban when it has already been done before,” he explained.
Social mindset orientation, he argued, should be the surest way to end the canker.
“Neither do I think a state of emergency may necessarily stop the situation. I think that in addition to all the law enforcement that the government is doing now, which all other governments have been doing, they should simply move in and invest in social mindset reorientation.
“What I saw with my eyes and what I have seen with my eyes today in Dunkwa Offin and Twifo Praso—if we can expose the community to the dire effect and draw their attention to how this thing is destroying their lives, in addition to enforcement, they would help to be able to succeed at it,” he maintained.
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