The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference says illegal mining is now a public health threat, not just an environmental one, and wants emergency powers invoked.
The Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference has once again asked government to declare a state of emergency over illegal mining, popularly known in Ghana as galamsey, arguing that the damage has gone past the environment and is now reaching people's health and the food they eat.
The call was made by the President of the Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Gyamfi, in an interview with Accra-based Citi News, reported by Adom Online.
What the bishops are asking for
A state of emergency is a constitutional step that allows a president to take extraordinary measures, including restrictions that would not normally apply, to deal with a crisis. The bishops believe the scale of galamsey has reached that point.
Most Rev. Gyamfi linked the demand directly to the oath of office. He said that because the President swore to protect and defend the country, Ghanaians should see "certain things radically" done, and that an emergency declaration would show citizens they are genuinely being defended.
He also warned against treating the fight as something that can be paused. "You cannot stop fighting galamsey," he said, describing it as poisonous and dangerous.
The health argument
Much of the bishops' case rests on contamination. Most Rev. Gyamfi raised concerns about polluted water bodies and the risk that chemicals used in illegal mining end up in the food chain, causing sicknesses that go well beyond the mining sites themselves.
This is a shift in emphasis. For years the galamsey debate in Ghana has focused on muddied rivers, destroyed cocoa farms and degraded forest reserves. The Conference is framing it as a direct threat to the health of ordinary citizens, including those far from mining communities who drink treated water drawn from affected rivers.
Why this keeps coming back
The Catholic Bishops' Conference is one of the most influential religious bodies in Ghana and its statements on national issues carry weight across party lines. It is not alone on this point. The Executive Director of the Centre for Freedom and Accuracy has also pushed for a targeted state of emergency on galamsey.
President John Mahama, however, has previously stated that he never promised to declare a state of emergency over illegal mining, which has kept the question alive in public debate rather than settling it.
What it means for Ghanaians abroad
For Ghanaians in the United States who follow developments at home and support families in mining districts in the Ashanti, Eastern, Western and Central regions, the issue is practical. Water quality, farmland loss and the cost of treating polluted water all feed into the cost of living.
The Conference says it wants sustained and firm action, not one-off operations. Government has not publicly responded to this latest appeal.
