State of emergency won’t end galamsey- GWL boss
The Managing Director of Ghana Water Limited (GWL), Adam Mutawakilu, has rejected calls for a State of Emergency to tackle illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, arguing that such a move would only provide a short-term fix rather than a lasting solution.
Addressing journalists at a press conference in Accra on Monday, October 20, Mr. Mutawakilu emphasised the need for more practical and sustainable strategies to address 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 cautioned that while such a declaration might produce immediate results, it would not address the root causes of the problem.
“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 remarks follow fresh calls from civil society organisations urging the government to adopt tougher measures, including declaring a State of Emergency, to protect Ghana’s water bodies and restore degraded environments.
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