Written by Wisdom Sei Chofugyie, September 24, 2025

If we cannot do anything about galamsey and stop it once and for all, then these gallant men have died for nothing” – Nii Adaifio Welentsi III, President, Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs.‎‎

On 6th August, 2025, Ghana was shaken by the tragic crash of a Z-9 Air Force helicopter in the Dampia Range Forest Reserve, leading to the death of eight gallant sons of this country. Among the dead were two cabinet ministers, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Minister of Defence, and Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister of Environment, Science, and Technology. They were en route to Obuasi to continue the battle against galamsey (illegal small-scale mining). ‎

This accident was no ordinary tragedy. It was a national alarm bell. Their deaths must become a turning point. Galamsey is not just an environmental issue anymore—it is a national security crisis that warrants the declaration of a state of emergency to stop illegal mining once and for all. ‎

Galamsey is Killing Us ‎

The proof is unmistakable and concerning. Studies reveal that vegetables grown near galamsey sites contain unsafe levels of arsenic, cadmium, and mercury. Water from the Pra, Ankobra, and Tano, among other rivers, is so polluted that the Ghana Water Company is demanding a steep increase in the water tariffs due to the high cost of treating the water. ‎

The health effects are terrifying, as there are reports of miscarriages, stillbirths, deformed babies, kidney damage, and declining fertility rates in galamsey areas. Experts link exposure to mercury used for galamsey with lower sperm counts and higher rates of congenital defects and neurological disorders. Children are growing up poisoned, and Ghana may be raising a generation plagued with chronic illnesses.

Our forests are vanishing too—44 out of the 288 forest reserves, constituting over 5,000 hectares of reserve land, have been destroyed, converting once-lush greenery into wastelands. Turbidity levels in key rivers have risen 10 times above safe treatment levels. This is not just damage; this is annihilation. ‎‎

Why a State of Emergency is Needed

Current interventions have failed. Despite years of military deployments and numerous task forces such as the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) Task Force, Special Anti-Galamsey Task Force, and the recent GoldBod Task Force, illegal miners return within weeks of being evicted, and they are heavily armed. No wonder they have been described as environmental terrorists. Politicians, financiers, and local collaborators keep the industry alive. A state of emergency would allow: ‎‎

1. Immediate shutdown of all illegal sites and confiscation of excavators and other mining equipment ‎

2. For the naming, shaming, and a fast-tracked prosecution of financiers and political collaborators ‎

3. Protection of forest reserves and river basins with military enforcement ‎

4. Medical screening and treatment for affected communities ‎

5. National mobilization for land reclamation and reforestation

Responsible, large-scale mining firms like AngloGold Ashanti and Newmont may continue under strict supervision, but all illegal operations must stop. ‎

The Cost of Doing Nothing

If we hesitate, more rivers will die, more children will suffer, and food security will collapse. The helicopter crash will simply fade from memory, and the death of those gallant men will be in vain. President Mahama says a state of emergency is the last resort in tackling the galamsey crisis. But this catastrophe has raged for decades. The time for the so-called ‘last resort’ is neither tomorrow nor 2026; it is long past, and the next best time is NOW. Declare the state of emergency NOW. Act, before there is nothing left to save. We must act NOW. Mobilize every resource. Enforce every law. Save what is left of our land, our water, and our future.

I’d love to hear your perspective! Drop a comment below and let’s work together in exploring lasting solutions to illegal small-scale mining in Ghana.

About the writer

Wisdom Sei Chofugyie is a teaching and research assistant at the Department of English, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, with a keen interest in how language and communication can serve as tools for societal transformation. He writes passionately on issues that impact both people and the planet. Wisdom can be reached at Email: chofugyiew@gmail.com