The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has called on President John Mahama to immediately declare a state of emergency in areas ravaged by illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey. 

In a strongly worded pastoral message, the bishops warned that galamsey “ravages our rivers and forests, poisons our soil, endangers public health, corrupts governance, erodes our moral fibre, and extinguishes livelihoods.” 

They stressed that the situation “is not a routine challenge to be managed with half-measures; it is a national emergency requiring decisive, extraordinary response.”

The bishops described the scale of environmental devastation as a “profound betrayal” of humanity’s sacred duty to care for creation. 

Citing alarming figures, they noted that rivers such as the Pra, Ankobra, Birim and Ayensu are laced with mercury and other toxic effluents, with the Ayensu registering turbidity levels of 32,000 NTU compared to the Ghana Water Company’s maximum treatment threshold of 2,500 NTU. 

“To desecrate creation through galamsey is not only an offence against neighbour; it is a grave sin against God Himself, the Creator and Owner of all,” the statement read.

They also condemned the human toll and social rot associated with illegal mining. Farmers are losing their livelihoods, children are abandoning school for perilous pits, and communities are exposed to “cancers, skin diseases, kidney failure, and neurological disorders” from contaminated water and food. 

“Galamsey has become a cancer in our national soul. It corrodes politics, corrodes governance, and corrodes conscience,” the bishops said, adding that some politicians, local officials, chiefs, and even security personnel have been complicit by shielding operators or granting illicit concessions.

According to the Conference, the government’s response has been slow and inadequate despite repeated appeals. 

“The hour is late. Delay is betrayal. Now, not tomorrow, not later, is the time to act,” the bishops warned. 

They urged President Mahama to pair an emergency declaration with a holistic national strategy that revises mining laws, establishes special courts, forms a corruption-proof task force, and offers sustainable alternatives for those driven to galamsey by poverty. 

“We appeal to President Mahama to show the courage of leadership. His government must prosecute not only the poor but also the powerful; not only the weak but also the well-connected,” the statement concluded.