President John Mahama indicated that his government will not rush into declaring a state of emergency in the fight against illegal mining, admonishing that such drastic action must be the last resort.
The President acknowledged growing public calls for more stringent measures at his Wednesday, September 10, media appearance in Accra, but he maintained that the laws currently in place already give him sufficient authority to take action.
“I’ve been reluctant to implement a state of emergency in the galamsey fight because we’ve not exhausted the powers we even have without a state of emergency,” he explained.
He further detailed that government agencies already have the authority to confiscate equipment, apprehend offenders and enforce forest conservation regulations.
“We have the opportunity to arrest anybody, to confiscate any such thing. The laws for forest protection and all that give us enough powers to be able to act,” he said.
Mahama cautioned that declaring a state of emergency may sound appealing, but it must not be rushed.
“Implementing a state of emergency might sound nice, but it should be the last resort. So, for now, let’s exercise all the powers we have — and if it becomes necessary for a state of emergency, then we look at it,” he added.