State of emergency no ‘magic wand’ For Galamsey– Schandorf

By: Joyce Owusu
August 31, 2026

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has cautioned against presenting a state of emergency as a quick fix for Ghana’s illegal mining crisis, arguing that such a declaration would not automatically resolve the deeper factors driving galamsey. Spokesperson for the Ministry, Paa Kwesi Schandorf, said a state of emergency could bring tighter restrictions on mining and allow for increased security operations in affected communities, but its effectiveness would depend on what additional outcomes it could achieve beyond measures already being implemented.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View, Mr Schandorf said the government must carefully assess the practical implications of invoking emergency powers before considering such a move. “We should be careful not to consistently indicate or project a state of emergency as a certain magic wand, if once implemented, would automatically transform our fortunes,” he said. He explained that a declaration could lead to the suspension or restriction of mining activities in affected areas and impose stringent measures that could have wider consequences for economic and social activities within those communities. According to him, however, several of the enforcement measures often associated with a state of emergency are already being pursued through ongoing anti-illegal mining operations.

Mr Schandorf cited interventions by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), while stressing that the activities of the secretariat should not be equated with the declaration of a state of emergency. “I’m not equating the state of emergency to NAIMOS intervention. I’m just saying that we should be careful not to consistently project that as that magic wand that will transform our fortunes,” he said. His comments come amid renewed calls for tougher measures to tackle illegal mining, which has been blamed for widespread environmental degradation, including the pollution of rivers and destruction of forest reserves and farmlands.

Mr Schandorf maintained that the decision to declare a state of emergency ultimately rests on a careful assessment of the security situation and the likely impact of such a measure. He said President John Dramani Mahama has consistently indicated that the government would rely on security assessments and act when circumstances warrant the declaration. For now, the Ministry believes the ongoing interventions do not justify an immediate state of emergency. Mr Schandorf said the more important question should be whether emergency powers would deliver significant results that cannot be achieved through existing enforcement operations.

He therefore urged a focus on identifying the specific gaps in the current anti-galamsey campaign and determining what additional powers, resources or interventions are required to close them. The position suggests that while the government remains open to stronger measures if the circumstances demand them, it does not consider the declaration of a state of emergency sufficient on its own to end illegal mining. The ministry’s emphasis, therefore, is on strengthening existing interventions and assessing their effectiveness rather than assuming that emergency rule, by itself, will bring an immediate end to galamsey.