Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu II, the Dormaahene and Paramount Chief of the Dormaa Traditional Area, has dismissed calls for President John Dramani Mahama to declare a state of emergency over illegal mining activities.
Speaking to the media after being sworn in as a Court of Appeal judge by the oresident on October 2, 2025, the outspoken traditional ruler, who also serves under his legal name, Justice Daniel Mensah, stressed that instead of a state of emergency, the focus should be on ensuring responsible mining practices in Ghana.
“He (President Mahama) has been with us for some time. If you ask me about my assessment, I would say galamsey is going down. You know why I’m saying that? If you look at some of the steps that have been taken before, we are no longer hearing about the people in the blue water guards and all that. We are not hearing about such issues now. People had invaded the forest reserves but we are no longer seeing that.
“Before this regime came, I know for a fact, because of the work that I do, that my forest reserves had been taken over. Now, that situation has been contained. I wouldn’t say galamsey is completely gone; it’s still with us, but I believe that if you look at the current seriousness, I want to encourage whoever is in charge, the Minister for Lands, government and the people of Ghana, that we should ensure this situation is nipped in the bud,” he said.
The Dormaahene further assured residents of Dormaa that illegal mining would not be tolerated in the area.
“So far as I am concerned, once you are in Dormaa, be sure that one day you’ll be caught. And you know the punishment? Minimum 15 years imprisonment. Do you have to go through that? This is the only thing our ancestors left for us, so we must not destroy our water bodies or cocoa farms. We should rather farm the right way so that we can all be happy as Ghanaians,” he added.
Rejecting suggestions for a state of emergency, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo argued that such a move was unnecessary and could harm the economy.
“Instead of declaring an emergency? No, no it has not come to that. Let’s look at how much Ghana earns from mining.
What Dormaahene said about his competence as a Court of Appeal judge
“Once you declare a state of emergency, the question is who can continue mining? If we are unable to access those resources, there will be a gap. How will government address that? So, there is a need for us to mine responsibly. Nobody will argue that there shouldn’t be mining but it must be done responsibly. Otherwise, we are destroying ourselves,” he added.
He also urged traditional leaders to take a firm stance against galamsey in their jurisdictions.
“As chiefs, we should not say we don’t have the power. If someone within your jurisdiction engages in galamsey, why can’t you stop them?
“In Dormaa, if you come to me, I will have you arrested and handed over to the police for prosecution. I want to appeal to all chiefs and citizens to ensure that their people do not engage in galamsey because if they do and are arrested, the consequences will not be good for anyone,” he explained.
AM/AE
‘Ghanaians regret voting for you’ – Watch more videos from the NPP’s recent demonstration directed at President Mahama
