Mahama denies vowing a galamsey state of emergency; critics dispute his account

Pinned summary · as of 05:40

President John Dramani Mahama says he is not planning to impose emergency rule to fight galamsey, as illegal mining is known locally, and insists he never promised it. Addressing Ghanaians in the US city of New York on Friday, 25 September, he added that the government already has the powers it needs.

What we know

• Speaking to Ghanaians in New York on 25 September, Mr Mahama rejected the idea that he had ever made such a promise: “I never ever said that,” he said.
• The President described an emergency as something to be considered only as a last resort, and noted that illegal mining affects 10 regions, which he said raised doubts about how practical a declaration would be.
• In his account, an emergency is normally imposed on one isolated area, with all effort focused there until the problem is solved and the measure ends. He added that it is usually temporary and can restrict some rights.
• Mr Mahama said the government already has enough legal power to act against illegal miners and is running targeted operations in areas identified as galamsey hotspots.
• Ibrahim Adjei of International Investments LLC, its resident country director, took aim at the President's comments on Channel One TV on Monday, 28 September, calling his position inconsistent because senior NDC figures had backed an emergency while in opposition.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Daryl Bosu, the deputy national director at A Rocha Ghana, told The Vaultz News that the President never personally promised an emergency, but said civil society had proposed a limited, time-bound intervention in hotspots and disputed that it would lead to widespread abuse of citizens' rights. Only this report carries his account.
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  Justice A. Newton-Offei, who once led the writers in the presidency's communications directorate, accused the President and his administration of a U-turn on galamsey policy and called Mr Mahama the “Ananias of our time”. These are his allegations, reported by The Ghana Report only, and the government has not been quoted in reply.
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  Mr Adjei said Mr Mahama “either is lying or is suffering from some kind of amnesia” when it comes to his party's earlier calls for emergency rule. This is his opinion, and the President has maintained that he has announced no decision to use emergency powers.
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  Kumasi Mail reported that a review of the NDC's 2024 manifesto, and a check by GhanaFact, found no commitment to declare an emergency over galamsey. It also said it found no direct campaign promise by Mr Mahama, although it noted the question remains part of the debate. NDC Communications Director Sammy Gyamfi said the party never officially endorsed such calls, though some members may have. Only Kumasi Mail carried these findings.
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  Mr Bosu told The Vaultz News that A Rocha Ghana stands by its estimate that at least 50 of the country's forest reserves are being encroached on by illegal miners, and he doubted that action on nine reserves addresses the wider threat. Other reports have not confirmed the figure.

Why it matters for Ghana

Illegal mining pollutes rivers and damages forests across 10 regions, so the choice of response bears on drinking water, farmland and livelihoods in mining communities. The exchange shows disagreement over whether existing powers and hotspot operations are enough, or whether a limited emergency would keep miners from returning. Residents of affected districts will look to see which approach delivers cleaner water bodies.