The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has raised concerns over the erosion of governance and morality linked to illegal mining operations, accusing some political leaders, government officials, religious leaders and security personnel of using their positions to shield illegal miners for personal gain.
In a September 15, 2025 statement and signed by the Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Bishop of Sunyani and President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, the Bishops’ Conference said that the involvement of some political leaders is a “betrayal of trust that cuts to the very marrow of our national identity” calling on such leaders to repent without delay.
In the statement, the Bishops’ Conference warned that galamsey poses a growing threat to national security, increasing criminal activity and violence in mining communities.
They noted, “Worse still, galamsey has matured into a threat to national security. It enriches criminal cartels, breeds lawlessness, and foments violent conflicts in mining communities.”
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference in their statement have also criticized President John Dramani Mahama for his perceived lack of urgency in addressing the crisis.
“… the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, appears not to grasp the existential scale of the menace. In both January and May 2025, delegations of our Conference raised these concerns directly with him, only to be met with unsatisfactory responses focused narrowly on economic gain. At his “Meet the Press” session of 10 September 2025, he dismissed calls for a state of emergency.”
In light of these pressing issues, the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has called on His Excellency John Dramani Mahama to declare a state of emergency in the most affected mining zones and around endangered water bodies without hesitation.
They emphasized that this would “empower extraordinary interventions: curfews in volatile areas, the securing of devastated lands, the dismantling of entrenched criminal syndicates, and the halting of corrupt administrative complicities”, calling on all stakeholders to protect the nation’s natural resources to promote a sustainable future.
Furthermore, the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference have proposed some national strategies to curb illegal mining operations in the country including revisions to mining laws to sharpen and rigorously enforce them, with stiffer penalties for offenders, establishment of specialized courts to speed up prosecutions and formation of a permanent, well-resourced, and corruption-proof task force comprising security services, environmental experts, and local authorities to ensure consistent enforcement beyond transient crackdowns.
By: Veronica Amenya.
