By nfm

Copyright naagyeifmonline

President John Mahama has received a warning from the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference that illicit mining, often known as galamsey, is endangering Ghana’s very identity, ruining the country’s environment, and undermining its administration.
“Galamsey, or illegal and unregulated mining, has emerged as one of the most serious problems of our day. It destroys our woods and rivers, contaminates our soil, jeopardises public health, taints government, weakens our moral fibre, and puts an end to livelihoods.

The Bishops stated that “this is a national emergency requiring decisive, extraordinary response; it is not a routine challenge to be managed with half-measures.”

The Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, the Bishop of Sunyani and President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, signed the statement that was released on Monday, September 15.

They issued a warning, stating that the once-clean rivers of Ghana, including the Pra, Ankobra, Birim, Offin, and Ayensu, are now so contaminated that they cannot be purified.
The statement went on to say, “Fertile farmlands are rendered sterile, punctured by deadly pits, while once-verdant forests lie stripped to barren scars.”

According to the Bishops, the effects on farmers, households, and kids tricked into mining holes were catastrophic.

They warned that mining toxins secretly enter our food chain and cause cancer, skin conditions, kidney failure, and neurological issues.

They characterised Galamsey as “a cancer in our national soul” that has tainted politics, governance, and conscience in addition to the environmental catastrophe.
According to the statement, “some politicians, members of parliament, chiefs, religious leaders, municipal and district chief executives, and even members of our security services have been implicated in a disturbing way.”

They were dissatisfied with how President Mahama handled the situation.

“Delegations from our Conference brought up these issues with him personally in January and May 2025, but received unsatisfactory answers that were primarily focused on financial gain.

He rejected demands for a declaration of emergency during his “Meet the Press” interview on September 10, 2025. This is quite concerning. It is late in the hour. It is treason to delay. The time to act is now, not tomorrow or later.
In order to stop the devastation and dismantle criminal syndicates, the Bishops urged the President to quickly declare a state of emergency in the impacted mining zones.

In addition, they want stronger sanctions, specialised mining tribunals, a permanent, anti-corruption task force, and viable economic options for individuals pushed into illicit mining.

“We implore President Mahama to exercise leadership bravery. His government must bring charges against both the powerful and the poor, the well-connected and the weak. They asserted that without bravery, no law, policy, or statement would be successful.

The Bishops issued a statewide call to action, urging Ghanaians to withstand the allure of rapid prosperity, chiefs to fulfil their role as landowners, politicians to prioritise Ghana over their own political agendas, religious leaders to speak out, and security forces to behave honourably.

“Law enforcement is only one aspect of this conflict. It affects Ghana’s basic essence. It concerns our decision to choose blessing or curse, life or death. The Bishops said, “With God’s grace, let us choose life, for ourselves, for our children, and for generations to come.”