The Managing Director of Ghana Water Limited (GWL), Adam Mutawakilu, has dismissed calls for the declaration of a State of Emergency to address illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, saying such a move would not provide a lasting solution to the menace.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Monday, October 20, Mr. Mutawakilu stressed the need for more sustainable and pragmatic interventions to curb the environmental destruction and water pollution caused by illegal mining.
“First and foremost I don’t think that State of Emergency will stop illegal mining. If you declare a State of Emergency in one area, you must move to another. At the end of the day, the whole of Ghana will be in a State of Emergency,” he asserted.
He argued that while a State of Emergency might yield temporary results, it would not guarantee long-term success in the fight against galamsey.
“What measures can we put in place for it to be sustained? Is the State of Emergency going to be there forever? Won’t the people go back when lifted? We can’t have a State of Emergency forever. There must be pragmatic measures to sustain it forever,” he said.
His comments come amid renewed calls from civil society organizations urging the government to adopt tougher measures, including a State of Emergency, to protect the country’s water bodies and restore the environment.
