Apostle Kofi Nkansah Sarkodie wants Mahama to declare a state of emergency on galamsey
Apostle Kofi Nkansah Sarkodie, also known as St Sark, the Head Pastor of Open Arms Ministry in Kumasi North Suntreso, has urged the government to declare a state of emergency to effectively combat the illegal mining, or galamsey, menace.
The pastor expressed his concerns during a press conference held at his church premises, criticising what he sees as the government’s slow and inadequate response to the environmental devastation caused by galamsey.
Apostle Sarkodie specifically addressed President John Dramani Mahama and his government, accusing them of not giving sufficient attention to the issue, despite the widespread destruction of forests, land, and water bodies due to illegal mining activities.
He suggested the use of drones to patrol galamsey sites as a potential solution.
The pastor highlighted the detrimental health effects of the environmental pollution, citing reports of babies being born with physical deformities due to the presence of harmful chemicals in rivers.
He also warned that the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) government risks failing if it does not take decisive action against galamsey.
Apostle Sarkodie drew a parallel to the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, led by Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, which he said was heavily criticised for its inability to curb galamsey, contributed significantly to their defeat in the 2024 general election.
“Your effort in fighting the ‘galamsey’ menace is not encouraging. I want the NDC government to hear that Ghanaians are not happy with the manner in which the fight is going. It is very worrying that people are suffering due to these illegal activities.
“I have said it and I’m saying it again that the government must declare a state of emergency on the galamsey issue. If they don’t want to be disgraced, they should do the needful and stop the same old story that put us in difficulty. The menace is a killer and they should stop playing jokes with it,” he warned.
