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The Convener of the Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey, Ing. Edem Ashigbi, has called for the declaration of a state of emergency in the Manso area of the Ashanti Region following a deadly confrontation involving residents and personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS).
Ashigbi who doubles as the CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Mines said the situation in the Manso area had deteriorated beyond what could be described as an ordinary crisis, arguing that the scale of illegal mining and the apparent resistance to enforcement efforts required more decisive government intervention.
“I do not know why we do not realise that the crisis has gone beyond crisis, and if these criminals start fighting back at the military, then we are in grave trouble,” he said.
He argued that declaring a state of emergency in the area could give the government additional powers to take control of a situation he considers increasingly difficult to manage.
Mr Ashigbi also questioned the effectiveness of local administrative and security structures in addressing illegal mining, asking what the Ashanti Regional Minister, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, police commanders and the Bureau of National Intelligence were doing to contain the activities.
“The Manso areas is a testimony of an area that we should declare a state of emergency. Galamsey is done here with impunity and in clear sight,” he said.
His comments come amid growing concerns about the safety of personnel deployed to tackle illegal mining, particularly following the latest confrontation in which NAIMOS had earlier reported that two of its officers sustained gunshot wounds.
The Assembly Member’s account of four deaths and 15 injuries has not been independently confirmed.
Mr Ashigbi said the government could no longer rely solely on efforts to encourage responsible mining while illegal operators continued to undermine enforcement operations.
He called for a balanced approach that combines stricter enforcement with incentives and support for people willing to engage in responsible mining.
“The stick has to go with the carrot of trying to get people to mine responsibly,” he said.
He further warned against exposing NAIMOS personnel to increasing danger during operations, insisting that the state must take decisive action to protect officers enforcing the country’s mining laws.
“We cannot keep on putting NAIMOS lives in danger,” he said.
Mr Ashigbi appealed to Ghanaians to speak out and demand action from the government, warning that the country’s democratic institutions and national security could be threatened if the situation was allowed to deteriorate further.
Editorial note: The strongest angle here is the call for a state of emergency, rather than simply reporting his reaction to the clash. The story also preserves his concerns about the security implications without presenting his allegations about local authorities as established facts.
