Catholic Bishops back Mahama’s efforts to arrest galamsey menace

The Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference (GCBC) supports President John Dramani Mahama's efforts against illegal mining, known as galamsey.

Reverend Matthew Gyamfi is the GCBC’s President and Bishop of Sunyani Diocese. He urged the President to declare a limited state of emergency in affected areas. This would temporarily suspend all mining activities. He also suggested deploying military engineering units for reclamation of degraded land.

Rev Gyamfi expressed concern over the devastation caused by illegal mining. What started as a subsistence activity has become a national threat.

He made these statements during a visit to President Mahama at the Presidency in Accra. Rev Gyamfi led a 20-member delegation from the GCBC.

The bishops congratulated the President on his victory in the December 7, 2024 election. They also presented several national issues for his attention, including illegal mining, education reform, governance, and electoral reforms.