The Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference (GCBC) has thrown its weight behind President John Dramani Mahama’s renewed crackdown on illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
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Speaking on behalf of the conference, Reverend Matthew Gyamfi, President of the GCBC and Bishop of the Sunyani Diocese, urged the President to take decisive action.
He recommended declaring a limited state of emergency in galamsey-affected zones to halt all mining operations temporarily. Additionally, he called for the deployment of military engineering units to reclaim degraded lands and the restoration of lawful local governance structures to strengthen oversight.
Rev. Gyamfi emphasized that illegal mining, which began as a small-scale subsistence activity, has now escalated into a crisis with severe environmental and social consequences.
The bishop made these remarks when he led a 20-member GCBC delegation to pay a courtesy call on President Mahama at the Jubilee House in Accra. The visit was both a congratulatory gesture for the President’s landslide victory in the December 7, 2024, elections and an opportunity to highlight pressing national concerns.
In addition to the galamsey issue, the bishops raised other matters, including education reforms, governance challenges, and the need for continued electoral improvements.
