Ashigbey urges government to declare localised state of emergency to combat galamsey

 

Dr., the Anti-Galamsey Coalition's coordinator, According to Kenneth Ashigbey, extraordinary measures are required to combat the growing threat, and he has requested that the government declare a state of emergency in the regions that are most affected by illegal mining. His appeal comes in response to the tragic crash of a helicopter on August 6 that killed eight people on their way to an anti-galamsey event in Obuasi. The incident resulted in the government announcing a renewed effort to combat illegal mining throughout the nation. Dr. in an interview that aired on Channel One TV on Monday, August 18 Ashigbey emphasized that galamsey should be considered a threat to national security. He stated, "We need to address this as a crisis for national security, and it must be confronted head-on." We have been advocating for the declaration of a state of emergency as one of our goals. This is not something we recommend for the entire nation or even the entire district. We ought to declare a state of emergency in certain communities, where the problem is most pressing. Dr.  Ashigbey gave the example of Dunkwa in the Central Region and suggested that the government could declare a state of emergency to stop illegal mining in places like the Offin River. The government could, for instance, declare a state of emergency in the vicinity of the Offin River in Dunkwa, preventing access to the water. He explained, "This would give the police and the forest commission the authority to take decisive action against illegal miners." He reiterated the Coalition's position that effective law enforcement is necessary to protect Ghana's forest reserves and waterways from galamsey's destructive effects.