The Managing Director of Ghana Water Limited (GWL), Adam Mutawakilu Mutawakilu, has indicated that the declaration of a State of Emergency is not the remedy to ending illegal mining activities (galamsey) in the country.

At a press conference in Accra on Monday, October 20, he stated that such a measure will escalate tensions in the country rather than provide a lasting solution to the galamsey menace.

He explained that declaring a State of Emergency would only push illegal miners to other parts of the country, forcing the government to extend the declaration to all regions. This, he argued, would be unrealistic and unsustainable. To prevent that, he called on the government to introduce lasting solutions rather than temporary ones.

“First and foremost, I don’t think that a State of Emergency will stop illegal mining. If you declare a State of Emergency in one area, they [illegal miners] would migrate to another area. At the end of the day, the whole of Ghana will be in a State of Emergency.

“You declare a State of Emergency for how many years? There must be pragmatic measures, as President Mahama has outlined, to ensure sustainability. From my position at Ghana Water, I don’t believe State of Emergency is the answer,” he said.

His comment comes amid mounting pressure on the Mahama-led government to declare a State of Emergency on the matter. However, President John Dramani Mahama, at a meeting with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), emphasized that he will only declare a State of Emergency when his government’s advisors give him the nod.

According to him, government advisors believe the country can overcome galamsey by adopting best practices in small-scale mining, including technologies that help neutralize or remove harmful chemicals from water bodies.

“While we are fighting the menace, I am also saying we should uptake technology in order to protect the environment. So yes, let’s fight the illegal mining but at the same time, let’s bring in new technology that will help us protect our environment.

“Now, with the elephant in the room State of Emergency yes, I have the power to do it, but the President acts on the advice of the National Security Council. And as at now, this moment, the National Security Council believes that we can win the fight against galamsey without declaring a State of Emergency. I want to assure you that the day they advise me otherwise that, boss, now we need a State of Emergency I won’t hesitate,” he added.

President Mahama believes that the country can eradicate the long-term canker if it deploys more troops and invests more resources in the fight. He concluded that the battle may be a long one, but his administration is committed to winning it.

The menace continues to threaten not only Ghana's water bodies, food crops, and forest reserves but also the country’s energy infrastructure. Earlier this month, Ghana Water Limited and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) blamed illegal mining activities for the 200% tariff increment proposal under the 2025–2030 Multi-Year Tariff Order. The Director of Communications for ECG, William Boateng, made this publicon Tuesday, October 14.

“They are digging and moving towards the roads and trenches, which is very dangerous. Anytime we have the slightest rainfall, the poles come down because the base has been weakened. That affects the stability of power supply.

“It costs us more money to fix the fallen poles and restore the line. Beyond that, we are also losing unserved energy power that we’ve already purchased but cannot deliver to customers,” Mr. Boateng noted.In September, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) received proposals from eight utility companies calling for a significant adjustment in utility tariffs to ensure they can fully operate at capacity.Proposals from the electricity distributors and the water provider for the 2025–2029 tariff period cite rising operational costs and the need to maintain efficient service delivery.

The eight companies include the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Volta River Authority (VRA), Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), Ghana Water Limited (GWL), Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), and Ghana National Gas Limited, among others.

ECG is pushing for a massive 225% hike in its distribution service charge. For instance, a household consuming 150 kWh monthly would pay an additional GHS64, while a residence using 100 kWh per month would pay about GHS43 more in distribution charges. As part of ECG’s request, the current Distribution Service Charge (DSC) of 19 pesewas per kilowatt-hour should be raised to nearly 62 pesewas per kilowatt-hour.

“The PURC will undertake the major adjustment in the fourth quarter of 2025 to reflect capacity charges, additional liquid fuel usage, and additional capex. The current charge is below industry benchmarks, and cedi depreciation has reduced its value. US$408 million spent on network upgrades and smart meters,” parts of ECG’s petition read.

ECG has emphasized that the adjustment has long been overdue, noting that in 2022 it proposed 39.95 pesewas, but only 19.04 pesewas was approved.

According to ECG, it has invested $48 million in network upgrades and smart metering systems to enhance power reliability, reduce outages, and align tariffs with international industry standards, yet these efforts have not yielded the expected cost recovery.

Furthermore, ECG has projected an annual revenue of GHS9.5 billion between 2025 and 2029 if the new charges are approved. The proceeds, according to the utility company, would be allocated to cover operational costs, depreciation of assets, staff salaries, and the recovery of recent capital expenditures.