President Akufo-Addo will meet the National House of Chiefs and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives [MMDCEs] today, Wednesday [October 5] over the galamsey canker.

The meeting is to afford the President the opportunity to find other means of dealing with the problem.

It will take place at Manhyia in the Ashanti Region, one of the regions worst hit by illegal mining.

The meeting follows the allegation that some MMDCEs are involved in Illegal mining activities in their respective jurisdictions.

Ahead of the meeting, the Pressure group, OccupyGhana has asked President Akufo-Addo to immediately declare a state of emergency in all mining areas in the country.

To them, this will help the President and his government streamline mining activities in the country.

In a press release issued on Monday, October 3, it urged President Akufo-Addo to seek advice from the Council of State before publishing a Gazette on same.

“We, therefore, request that you take immediate steps towards declaring a state of emergency in every mining area in Ghana.

“In accordance with article 31(1) of the Constitution, these steps would be, first, seeking and obtaining the advice of the Council of State and, second, publishing a Proclamation of the declaration in the Gazette,” the group urged.

Meanwhile, the Convenor of the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining, Dr. Ken Ashigbey, has said the government’s failure to appropriately tackle the galamsey menace might be either because they are complicit in the illegality or they are incompetent.

According to him, the failure of government to decisively deal with key persons who have been identified as being active participators and facilitators of galamsey in the country is rather telling on the government’s lack of commitment to the galamsey fight.