The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has urged the government to declare a targeted state of emergency in all areas affected by illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
The call was made during a courtesy visit to President John Dramani Mahama at the Jubilee House, where the bishops expressed deep concern over the destructive impact of galamsey on water bodies, forests, farmlands, and the health of local communities.
President of the Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Gyamfi, stated that such a declaration would empower the government to mobilise the necessary resources and enforcement measures to rehabilitate affected areas and prevent further environmental degradation.
“Mr President, the 32 years of our democratic dispensation in the fourth republic, has been governed 16 years each by the duopoly of NDC and NPP. The Catholic Church contributed to the struggle for freedom from authoritarian regimes, and we continue to speak and act, when necessary because of our conviction about the inviability of the freedoms of the person. But also because of our hope for the integral development of our people.
“Sadly, however, the successes chocked, over the years, notwithstanding, our political evolution is still underwhelming.
“Your Excellency, We are approaching you at this point in our country’s life Because we believe that after 32 years of our democratic experience and the decisive mandate handed over to you by the Ghanaians electorate, it is time for real and meaningful change for our people. This means that failure will attract very little sympathy from the citizenry,” he stated.
Meanwhile, President Mahama stated that the government is on track to reclaiming all forests destroyed by galamsey operations.
“Currently, the statistics we have is that 16% of our forest reserves have been destroyed and encroached upon. It will need both reclamation and rehabilitation of the forest. We are intending to do that under the carbon credit system because if you reclaim mined lands and you restore forest, you can claim it under carbon credit. That will give us more money to reclaim some more of the forest,” he said.
Illegal mining remains a persistent national challenge. Under the previous administration, military-led task forces such as Operation Vanguard and Operation Halt were deployed to clamp down on galamsey operations, but results have been limited.
The current John Mahama-led administration has introduced a new initiative known as the Blue Water Guard, a surveillance and whistleblower task force aimed at supporting enforcement efforts against illegal mining.
As part of this initiative, on May 21, the Minerals Commission began deploying 453 Blue Water Guards across seven Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Western Region. These personnel are the first batch of a planned 2,000-member force, all of whom completed their training under the Ghana Navy on April 14, 2025.
The Blue Water Guards will now operate in close collaboration with both the Navy and the Ghana Police Service as part of a broader national strategy to combat illegal mining and protect Ghana’s natural resources.
