Former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Inusah Fuseini, says he no longer supports the call for a state of emergency to address illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, despite once backing the idea.
Speaking in an interview with TV3 on Thursday, October 16, 2025, Fuseini revealed that his change of mind came after extensive engagement with government officials on the complexities of enforcing such a measure.
“The fight against galamsey has become more difficult. A state of emergency is meant to be a last resort—you don’t use your final option first. If you exhaust that and it doesn’t work, what are you left with? Nothing. That’s why I believe the government does not want to exercise that option now,” he explained.
The former Tamale Central MP noted that while the galamsey menace continues to threaten Ghana’s environment and river bodies, a state of emergency might not produce lasting results. Instead, he advocates for smarter, technology-driven interventions that can sustain enforcement efforts.
Fuseini recalled that during his tenure as Minister, he proposed the use of drone technology to monitor and track illegal mining operations in real time — an idea that was dismissed at the time.
“When I first proposed the use of drones, the technology was just emerging. With a call center and drones flying over targeted areas, you could receive real-time images and coordinates of illegal mining sites. That would allow for a focused and targeted response. But the idea was dismissed; people assumed I meant military drones when in fact they were civilian,” he said.
He criticized the lack of continuity in government initiatives, pointing out that drones introduced under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s administration have since vanished from use.
Fuseini stressed that effective use of drone surveillance could strengthen law enforcement and provide a practical alternative to declaring a state of emergency.
“If given the opportunity, I would recommend adding another layer to the fight—drone surveillance. You can’t hide from a drone. Where soldiers can’t physically reach or see, drones can. So it’s worth considering that technology,” he added.
By Beatrice Sowah/3 News
