The National Coordinator for the District Roads Improvement Programme (DRIP), Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, says President John Dramani Mahama’s recent comments on illegal mining (galamsey) unsettled some Ghanaians.

At the Presidential Media Encounter on 10th September 2025, journalists asked the president whether he would declare a state of emergency in response to the environmental destruction caused by galamsey.

President Mahama responded that the government had not exhausted all legal measures and that declaring a state of emergency would be a last resort.

“The only response that disappointed people was the president’s on galamsey. Many came expecting him to declare a state of emergency. But judging from media commentary and public reactions, that was the one response most people were unhappy about,” he noted on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Thursday, 11th September.

According to Vanderpuye, many citizens had expected a stronger position. Despite the criticism, Vanderpuye defended the president’s remarks as measured and thoughtful.

“He handled it intelligently. He made it clear that a state of emergency remains an option, but only after exhausting the legal avenues available to him as head of state. And we have not yet exhausted those options—there are still many to pursue,” he explained.

Vanderpuye stressed that tackling illegal mining must be seen as a gradual process rather than a single event.

“I never believed the fight against galamsey would be an event; it is a process. There are several interventions in place, such as the Blue Water Guards. These show that there is a plan, but the results people expect have not yet materialised,” he added.

The full media encounter;