Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has said he agrees with President John Dramani Mahama’s position that declaring a state of emergency over illegal mining (galamsey) is not the right move at this time.

Speaking on TV3’s The Key Points on Saturday, September 13, 2025, Kpebu argued that a state of emergency is not a “magic wand” and would not fundamentally change the government’s approach.

He explained that while calls for a state of emergency may be “politically sexy,” they fail to address the substantive issue of tackling illegal mining.

Lands minister rejects call for state of emergency over galamsey

“At that time (electioneering season), truth be told, it was politically sexy to say that you would declare a state of emergency. That is what the majority of citizens were calling for, but it doesn’t appear to me that people understood what it was, and the fact that it is no different from what the government is doing.

"The key thing is, when you declare it now, you take measures justifiable to stop the problem. Currently, what stops us from taking those measures, like sending the police back into the forest reserves?” he said.

Kpebu stressed that a state of emergency is “merely a declaration on paper,” noting that enforcement would still fall to the police using existing legal frameworks.

Paul Adom-Otchere backs President Mahama's stance on galamsey

“So, let’s ask President Mahama; where are all the forests? Then map out the dates the police will take over these forests. And no military, please. The police can do this job. In our constitution, this is work for the police, not the military,” he added.

He argued that public calls for a state of emergency reflect a demand for urgency rather than a legal necessity.

Kpebu questioned what currently prevents the police from being deployed to galamsey sites and using intelligence to distinguish between legal and illegal miners.

He emphasised that the core issue is not a lack of legal authority but a lack of political will to implement existing laws.

According to him, the Police Service, as mandated by the constitution, is the appropriate authority for this task, not the military.

Kpebu urged President Mahama to provide a clear timeline for when the police will be permanently stationed in all forest reserves to end illegal mining.

VPO/MA

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