The Concerned Citizens of Atewa Landscape (CCAL) has called on President John Mahama to, without delay, declare all galamsey-affected zones as state of emergency areas. 

Their call was in response to remarks made by private legal practitioner Tsatsu Tsikata urging caution on calls for President John Mahama to declare a state of emergency in the fight against illegal mining (galamsey). 

In a statement issued on October 1, 2025, CCAL said they respectfully disagreed with Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, and re-emphasised that the urgent necessity of a state of emergency was the last viable measure to rescue Ghana’s dying rivers, forests, and productive farmlands.

CCAL commended the president for declaring some forest reserves and rivers as security zones but said it was not enough.

“Our environment is not merely under threat, it is under siege. The contamination of food crops, the pollution of river systems, and the destruction of productive farmlands by Galamsey are not business-as-usual problems. They constitute an existential national emergency with direct consequences for food security, public health, and the survival of future generations,” CCAL's statement said. 

According to the group, a state of emergency provided legal and institutional clarity to mobilise resources under a central command, signalling seriousness, restoring public trust and protecting long-term human-rights. 

“If rivers are drying up, if cocoa farms are collapsing, if mercury is poisoning our soils and unborn children, what more justification does Ghana need for emergency measures? Galamsey is not merely an illegal activity; it is a national disaster unfolding in real time. And disasters require emergency response,” the statement added.