The Member of Parliament for Manhyia North, Akwasi Konadu, has called for the declaration of a state of emergency in Ghana’s small-scale mining regions, citing what he described as a national crisis triggered by illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
In a strongly worded statement on Facebook titled “A Nation Under Siege: The NDC’s Broken Promises and the Call for a State of Emergency in Ghana’s Small-Scale Mining Sectors,” Mr. Konadu accused the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government of a reckless and deceitful approach to combating illegal mining.
His remarks follow a violent attack on officials of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and journalists during an anti-galamsey operation — an incident that has sparked public outrage and renewed debate over the state’s waning control in mining zones.
“The tragic attack on officials of the EPA and journalists during an anti-galamsey operation is not an isolated event; it is the direct result of a failed, reckless, and deceitful approach by the current NDC government toward illegal mining and environmental protection,”
— Akwasi Konadu, MP for Manhyia North.
Mr. Konadu argued that the incident reflected a breakdown of law and order and was the culmination of “months of political hypocrisy, broken promises, and dangerous populism” that had emboldened armed mining syndicates to resist state authority.
He accused President John Dramani Mahama and some ruling party figures of fueling illegal mining through populist campaign pledges, referencing Mahama’s remarks in September 2024 at Adum Banso in the Mpohor Constituency, where he allegedly promised to grant amnesty to small-scale miners if re-elected.
“Those words have now come back to haunt the nation,” Mr. Konadu stated. “What happened in that forest on November 6, 2025, was more than an attack; it was an act of rebellion against the authority of the Republic.”
The MP further cited an earlier incident in Hweidem, Ahafo Region, where a sitting legislator reportedly led a mob to assault an anti-mining task force, freeing detained miners and attacking security officers.
Historical Context
Illegal mining, or galamsey, has plagued Ghana for decades. Despite successive government bans — notably under Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor, John Atta Mills, John Mahama, and Nana Akufo-Addo — enforcement has been inconsistent, often undermined by political interference, corruption, and weak institutional capacity.
In 2017, the Akufo-Addo administration launched Operation Vanguard to clamp down on galamsey, followed by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) led by Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng. However, reports of bribery, equipment seizures, and unregulated community mining projects later marred the initiative.
By 2025, widespread environmental degradation — including the contamination of major rivers like the Pra, Offin, Ankobra, and Tano — has forced renewed calls for military intervention and stronger governance measures.
Environmental and Security Concerns
Mr. Konadu painted a grim picture of Ghana’s environmental collapse, warning that rivers, forests, and cocoa farms were being systematically destroyed while government officials “look the other way.”
“Our rivers are poisoned. Our cocoa farms are destroyed. Our forests, once green and alive, are now gaping wounds of mud, death traps, and mercury,” he lamented. “The government remains silent, incompetent, and complicit while Ghanaians pay the price in blood, insecurity, and poverty.”
He called for a coordinated national response to reclaim forest reserves and restore law and order, insisting that the crisis had moved beyond partisan politics.
“The situation has gone beyond political debate. It is a national emergency,” Mr. Konadu declared. “We therefore call for an immediate declaration of a state of emergency in the affected mining zones to empower security agencies to reclaim the forests, restore order, and bring every illegal miner, financier, and political accomplice to justice.”
He concluded by urging citizens to demand accountability, warning that “every bullet fired in that forest was not just against them, but against Ghana itself.”
