I am deeply worried about Ghana’s environmental future, worried that our collective conscience is being dulled by the glitter of gold.

We have allowed the lure of “gold money” to blind us to the destruction of our rivers, forests, and fragile ecosystems.

The slow death of our environment is no longer a distant threat; it is happening right before our eyes.

In 2024, I warned that Ghana had shifted from traditional galamsey to high-tech galamsey, a more sophisticated and far more destructive form of illegal mining that flourished under the previous administration of President Akufo-Addo and Dr Bawumia.

Many Ghanaians, including myself, voted for the NDC and John Dramani Mahama because we believed his return to power would signal not just economic renewal, but an environmental reset.

Yet today, barely a year into this new administration, it is painfully clear that our approach to the galamsey menace remains business as usual, cautious, incremental, and politically timid.

This gradualist strategy, President Mahama, will not deliver durable results.

An Environmental Emergency Hiding in Plain Sight. Let’s call this what it is: Ghana is facing an environmental emergency.

Our rivers, once the lifeblood of rural livelihoods, are now thick with mercury and silt.

Forest reserves are being turned into open wounds.

Aquatic life is dying, farmlands are barren, and communities are drinking poison in the name of water.

If this isn’t an emergency, then what is?

How can we, in good conscience, continue with half-measures when the evidence is so glaring?

This is why I strongly believe the only potent and credible weapon against galamsey is a Declaration of a State of Emergency, a decisive, nationwide mobilisation against this cancer.

Without it, every effort will continue to be fragmented, reactive, and ultimately, futile.

Why gradualism is failing us

The reality, President Mahama, is that the galamsey crisis is not just about poor regulation; it is a complex web of political influence, economic desperation, and foreign interests.

It is entrenched, profitable, and in some cases, protected by powerful actors.

A gradualist approach, rooted in committees, dialogues, and task forces, cannot uproot something this deep.

We cannot negotiate with destruction.

We must confront it head-on, with the full weight of the state, the law, and the moral authority of leadership.

It is surprising and frankly disheartening that you, one of Ghana’s most experienced presidents, have publicly stated you are not convinced that the situation warrants a declaration of emergency.

With due respect, President, the signs of environmental collapse are already upon us.

Are we waiting for the day when the Pra, Ankobra, and Offin rivers run completely dry before we act?

Are we waiting for biodiversity loss to reach an irreversible tipping point before sounding the alarm?

At that stage, declaring a state of emergency will be meaningless; it will be like calling the fire brigade after the house is gone.

The dangerous drift of public apathy

The growing resistance from residents in some mining communities is a red flag.

It reflects a dangerous mindset, where quick cash trumps long-term survival. People are losing sight of what truly matters: the well-being of future generations.

This, too, is a product of state inaction.

When citizens see the government treating galamsey as just another policy issue rather than a national emergency, they follow suit, cutting corners, ignoring the law, and prioritising self-interest.

What must be done now

President Mahama, this is not the time for gradualism.

It is the time for leadership with urgency and conviction.

Declaring a state of emergency on galamsey must no longer be seen as a political risk; it is a patriotic obligation.

If properly enforced, such a declaration will:

1. Signal the government's uncompromising seriousness about environmental protection;

2. Empower security agencies to act decisively without political interference;

3. Rally Ghanaians around a unified, national cause;

4. And restore public confidence that this administration means business.

This will not be easy, but it will be remembered.

A Final Appeal to Conscience

Respectfully, President Mahama, history will judge your administration not by the promises you make, but by the courage you show in moments like this.

Gradual reforms may look politically safe, but they are environmentally suicidal.

Declaring a State of Emergency on Galamsey is no longer a choice; it is a necessity.

Ghana stands at the brink of an ecological tipping point, and time is not on our side.

The longer we delay, the harder it will be to reclaim what we've lost.

Let this administration be remembered as the one that saved Ghana's rivers, not as the one that watched them die.