Dr Cadman Atta Mills, brother of the late President John Evans Atta Mills, has criticised the government’s reluctance to declare a state of emergency to combat illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, describing the situation as an existential national crisis.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Tuesday, September 23, Dr Mills argued that the environmental destruction and health hazards caused by galamsey far outweigh concerns about temporarily suspending certain individual rights under a state of emergency.
“I think it’s a bit ironic to say that a state of emergency involves suspension of rights and rights of people,” he said.
Dr Mills stressed that the personal freedoms of illegal miners cannot supersede the fundamental rights of Ghanaians to clean air, safe water, and a healthy environment.
“When indeed, the people who are illegally mining really have no right to be sentencing me to death. Their right to pursue their selfish economic interest ends right there, when it starts to affect my well-being,” he declared.
Calls Out Political Influence
Dr Mills also highlighted what he described as the “political economic dimension” of galamsey, urging authorities to confront the powerful forces behind the illegal trade.
“There is a political-economic dimension to this thing that I think is the elephant in the room. Let’s talk about it. Who is doing the galamsey? Who is bankrolling it? Who is getting the licenses?” he asked.
He questioned whether these vested interests are influencing the state’s apparent hesitation to impose drastic but necessary measures.
“Can it possibly affect the reluctance of the government to suspend the rights of these people? I don’t find it convincing,” Dr Mills added.
He further warned that the damage caused by galamsey poses a far greater threat to the nation than concerns over press freedoms or other civil liberties that may be affected by a state of emergency.
“Somehow, if you declare a state of emergency, the right of the press to find out what is happening… I think the damage to my health, the damage to Ghana, the damage to future generations is important enough that for this alone, there are no rights to kill, and nobody should be given the license to kill,” he said.
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