Only state of emergency can stop galamsey – Sekou Nkrumah

Dr. Sekou Nkrumah, son of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, has called on government to confront the menace of illegal mining—popularly known as galamsey—by declaring a state of emergency in the worst-hit communities.

Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse, Dr. Nkrumah expressed deep frustration at what he described as the government’s lack of political will to end a crisis that has devastated rivers, forests, and farmland across the country.

He argued that only bold and decisive action could halt the destruction before it becomes irreversible.

“Simple things like galamsey that are destroying the environment, the water bodies, the forest reserve. The government doesn’t have the political will to say enough is enough to stop it,” he lamented.

A Crisis Deepening Despite Promises

Illegal mining has become one of Ghana’s most intractable challenges over the past two decades.

Successive governments have launched task forces, military operations, and policy interventions, yet the practice continues to expand—often with the alleged backing of politically connected financiers.

Galamsey has polluted major rivers such as the Pra, Offin, and Ankobra, threatening drinking water supplies and fisheries.

Ghana Water Company Limited has repeatedly warned that treatment plants are at risk of shutdown due to high levels of turbidity and heavy metals from mining runoff.

Deforestation in mining zones has also worsened climate vulnerabilities and displaced farming communities.

Despite the creation of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) under former President Akufo-Addo and more recent pledges by President Mahama’s administration to intensify enforcement, the situation remains dire.

Environmental groups, traditional authorities, and even security agencies have accused state officials of complicity in protecting galamsey operators.

The Case For Emergency Powers

Dr. Nkrumah believes the solution requires a radical shift from rhetoric to action.

He has urged the President to invoke emergency powers, arguing that deploying the military under a state of emergency would be the only way to break the entrenched networks sustaining the illegal trade.

“The solution is simple, but it takes political will. Declare a state of emergency in those areas. Send the army there, and it will be stopped,” he said.

According to him, once galamsey operations are forcefully halted, the government can then focus on long-term strategies such as job creation, vocational training, and youth empowerment to address the economic desperation driving many into illegal mining.

“There is one way of stopping it right now, and then afterwards we can deal with the issues of these young people who don’t have jobs,” Dr. Nkrumah emphasized.

A Broader Governance Test

The call from the son of Ghana’s independence leader comes at a time when public confidence in state institutions to protect natural resources is waning.

Civil society organizations, including the Centre for Democratic Mobilisation (CDM), have also demanded a declaration of a state of emergency, warning that Ghana risks losing its rivers entirely if action is delayed.

For Dr. Nkrumah, the galamsey fight is not just about the environment but also about leadership and the legacy of governance.

“What is lacking is not the knowledge of the problem, but the courage to confront it,” he hinted, suggesting that history would judge leaders harshly if they failed to act.