The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has defended the government’s decision not to declare a state of emergency on illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, despite increasing calls for stronger intervention.
After seventy-nine days in office, he insisted that the issue was being handled with urgency but argued that imposing a state of emergency was not the best course of action.
“We are treating the matter as an emergency matter. We are working on the clock twenty-four hours a day. The thing is that in a free society, even when there’s a crisis, you try to solve it without creating fear and panic”
Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources
The minister, questioned on why the government had not implemented the position it once supported while in opposition, that a state of emergency should be declared in specific galamsey-prone areas, rejected claims that the government had failed to act decisively.
“I think we are already doing it,” he stated.
He defended the administration’s approach despite the lack of a formal declaration of a state of emergency.
“We have. How did we, in less than a month, reverse seven red (galamsey areas) to yellow?”
Asked why the president, with his two-thirds parliamentary majority, had not officially declared it, since a state of emergency is a legal term, not just an expression of urgency, the minister maintained that President Mahama was taking the necessary steps.
“The president is treating this matter as a top priority. The president wants to make sure that the people of Ghana can be assured that he’s on top of this”
Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources
Reluctance to Impose Curfews
Despite calls for a targeted state of emergency, the minister rejected suggestions that such measures should be implemented.
He argued that it was unnecessary to make an official declaration when the government was already making progress.
“What we don’t want to do is to do a 06:00 announcement and tell the whole of Ghana that a curfew has been declared,” he said.
It was pointed out that curfews had already been imposed in Bawku without disrupting national stability.
Additionally, concerns were raised that some of those involved in illegal mining were foreigners, making their activities a direct attack on Ghana’s sovereignty.
The minister dismissed these comparisons, reiterating that the administration’s approach was strategic.
“As the minister of lands and natural resources, I can tell the people of Ghana that we are dealing with this matter with all the emergency measures, all the urgency, the seriousness.
“And they can be assured that we’ll be relentless and we’ll make sure that we win this fight”
Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources
Prosecuting and Shaming Offenders
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling illegal mining, warning that those responsible, no matter how powerful, would face consequences.
“This government is determined, and we will get you, and we’ll arrest you, and we will shame you as well.”
Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources
The minister avoided mentioning specific names but assured that the administration was targeting those at the top of the illegal mining network, the key financiers of galamsey.
Tracking Galamsey Financiers
The minister revealed that the government was investigating the influx of mining equipment into Ghana.
He cited data showing that in 2024, mining machinery worth $6.2 billion had been imported, raising concerns that high-ranking individuals were financing galamsey operations.
“Obviously, those small guys in those districts will not have the money to buy these excavators. One of the things we are going to do, and are working on already, is to regulate this properly”
Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources
He confirmed that the administration was working with the Ministry of Transport to tighten regulations on mining equipment.
He pointed to an ongoing tracking program run by the Minerals Commission, which was monitoring seventy excavators using geofencing technology.
“So far, on an experimental basis, they are able to track these excavators twenty-four hours a day,” he said.
However, he acknowledged the need for expansion admitting that seventy was a small fraction of the excavators in circulation.
He added that the government was collaborating with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Ministry of Transport to register all excavators and their owners.
On why the government had not imposed a temporary ban on excavator imports to curb illegal mining, the minister dismissed the idea, arguing that excavators were needed for legitimate purposes.
“No, you don’t ban it because there are a lot of other activities that you use them for.”
However, he acknowledged that the current system needed to be strengthened.
“Ultimately, what we are saying is that working with the attorney general and the interior ministry, if any excavator is caught in any illegality, we are not only arresting the person, but we are going for all the big guys behind it”
Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources
The minister reaffirmed that the fight against galamsey was a priority for the Mahama administration and called for public support.
He emphasized that the government was focused on dismantling illegal mining networks and implementing long-term solutions.
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