The
(GCBC) has issued a strong call to President John Dramani Mahama to take decisive and urgent action against the country’s worsening illegal mining (galamsey) crisis, describing it as “a public health and human rights emergency.”
According to a press statement signed by the President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, the bishops expressed deep concern over findings from the recent Mercury and Heavy Metals Impact Assessment conducted by Pure Earth and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The report, supported by testimony from the UN Special Rapporteur on Toxic Substances, revealed that mercury and arsenic levels in some communities exceed safe limits by hundreds of times, contaminating rivers, soils, and crops.
According to the Bishops, over half a million farmers have already been displaced, and children in affected areas are suffering long-term health effects from toxic exposure.
“The evidence is stark: mercury and arsenic levels in some communities exceed safe limits by hundreds of times. Rivers, soils, and crops are contaminated; over half a million farmers have been displaced; and children are already bearing the scars of toxic exposure,” he revealed.
They stressed that the crisis goes beyond the environment, and as such, the water bodies and the basic needs of Ghanaians are now at stake.
“This is not merely an environmental issue; it is a public health and human rights emergency. Our water, our food security, and the very future of our nation are at stake,” he added.
While pledging the Church’s readiness to support government efforts, the GCBC insisted that what is needed now is decisive leadership.
“What is required now is not more studies or lamentations, but decisive and transparent action.”
The Bishops outlined key measures, calling on the President to establish “clear benchmarks that will trigger a state of emergency,” ensure the “visible prosecution of kingpins, including those named in official reports,” and to set up the “promised fast-track courts.”
They further demanded “measurable performance indicators for local authorities and security services,” as well as “protection for communities and traditional leaders who resist galamsey, alongside accountability for those complicit.”
Emphasizing the urgency of the moment, the Bishops declared that “Credibility is now as important as policy. Our people must see that no one is above the law, and that economic expediency cannot outweigh the sacred right to clean water, safe food, and a healthy environment.”
While acknowledging that the primary responsibility rests with government, the Catholic Church pledged to support state efforts through awareness campaigns, community mobilization, and education on environmental stewardship.
The Bishops, however, urged the President to match words with “decisive and transparent action” to restore public confidence.
