The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) has described President John Dramani Mahama’s dismissal of calls to declare a state of emergency on galamsey as a betrayal to the state.
The Bishops’ Conference has stressed the need for Ghana to take decisive steps to end illegal mining (galamsey) once and for all.
In a statement signed on Monday, September 15, 2025, by Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, President of the GCBC and Bishop of the Sunyani Archdiocese, they found the President’s response to the calls for a state of emergency 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.”
The Conference says the practice has stolen the soul of the nation, urging that no stone should be left unturned in curbing it to save the environment.
In a statement signed on Monday, September 15, 2025, by Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference and Bishop of the Sunyani Archdiocese, they warned that President John Dramani Mahama should tackle the canker head-on with a fierce response.
“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.
They raised concerns about the rate at which the turbidity levels of Ghana’s rivers have reached levels beyond purification, adding that the nation’s once-rich forest reserves have now been depleted by some greedy individuals who prioritize their parochial interests over those of the entire nation.
“Once-verdant forests lie stripped to barren scars, while fertile farmlands are rendered sterile, punctured by deadly pits,” the statement added.
They further highlighted how the menace is affecting every aspect of the lives of Ghanaians, stating: “The poisons of mining seep silently into our food chain, breeding cancers, skin diseases, kidney failure, and neurological disorders.”
As an environmental disaster likened by the Bishops as “a cancer in our national soul”, they explained how “some politicians, Members of Parliament, Municipal and District Chief Executives, chiefs, religious figures, and even members of our security services have been implicated.”
They chastised President Mahama for doing less to end this crime, despite several efforts by the Conference to remind him of the dangers associated with this existential threat.
“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.
They further urged the President to demonstrate leadership by being a man of his word and prosecuting all individuals involved in the act, without regard to political affiliations.
Additionally, they called for a permanent, corruption-proof task force, specialised mining courts, tougher penalties, and sustainable livelihood alternatives for those driven into illegal mining.
“We appeal to President Mahama to show the courage of leadership. 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,” they charged.
