The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has urged President John Dramani Mahama to declare a state of emergency in mining-affected areas to combat illegal mining, known as galamsey, warning that further delays amount to a betrayal of the nation's future.

In a strongly worded statement issued Sunday, the bishops described galamsey as a "grave affliction" that poisons rivers, destroys forests and farmlands, endangers public health, and corrupts governance. They highlighted the devastation of once-pristine waterways like the Pra, Ankobra, Birim, Offin, and Ayensu, where turbidity levels in the Ayensu River have hit 32,000 NTU – far exceeding the Ghana Water Company's 2,500 NTU treatment threshold, rendering purification impossible. The clerics called the environmental ruin a "profound betrayal" of stewardship over creation, labeling it a "grave sin against God Himself."

The bishops pointed to severe human costs, including farmers losing livelihoods, families facing contaminated water, and children abandoning school for dangerous pits where collapses claim lives. They accused politicians, chiefs, security officers, and other leaders of shielding illegal operators, urging immediate repentance. The group expressed disappointment in Mahama's September 10 media encounter, where he dismissed emergency calls, recalling unmet pleas from January and May 2025 meetings focused on economic gains over urgent action.

To address the crisis, the bishops proposed a declaration imposing curfews, securing lands, dismantling cartels, and rooting out corruption in mining administration. They stressed backing it with stronger laws, harsher penalties, specialized courts, and an incorruptible task force. Mercy for desperate miners should include regulated small-scale zones, farmer aid, and a national afforestation drive, they added. The clerics called on Ghanaians to shun galamsey's lure, chiefs to uphold custodial duties, politicians to prioritize the country, and security forces to protect citizens with integrity.

"This struggle is not merely about law enforcement. It concerns the very soul of Ghana," the statement concluded, invoking a choice between life and death, blessing and curse.