Ghana Set For Nationwide Lockdown On Monday As Illegal Mining Crisis Intensifies

Ghana is set for a nationwide lockdown on Monday, September 30, as civil servants and labour unions increase pressure on the government to address the country’s illegal mining crisis, popularly known as Galamsey.

Unregulated mining activities in Ghana have caused severe environmental damage, leading to urgent calls for action, including a state of emergency in mining areas and the cancellation of mining licenses.

Reports from the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) revealed that 60 per cent of the country’s major water sources have been polluted due to illegal mining. The water treatment systems in Ghana are struggling to cope with the high level of contamination, according to GWCL, leading to serious water shortages in many parts of the country.

A coalition of civil society groups, labour unions, media organisations, and religious leaders are demanding immediate government intervention. They want illegal miners removed from water bodies, a state of emergency declared in affected areas, and mining licenses revoked.

“When you go to war and poison the enemy’s water, it’s considered a war crime. But here, people are poisoning their own water, and the leaders are failing to act. This is a crisis, and the president must act now,” said Dr Kenneth Ashigbey, the convener of the Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey.

The President of the Ghana Journalists Association, Albert Dwumfour, also urged the government to deploy the military to stop illegal mining and cancel permits in protected biodiversity areas.

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