Renowned Hiplife artiste, Okyeame Kwame, has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to use his executive powers to end illegal mining (galamsey).

Speaking on United Showbiz, the "Yeeko" hitmaker urged the president to declare a state of emergency on illegal mining.

According to him, proper stakeholder mapping with various leaders will go a long way to restoring the polluted water bodies caused by galamsey operators.

"The president has the executive power to say they should end both legal and illegal mining from now to January 27 and constitute another group with a proper stakeholder mapping which includes the chiefs, politicians, and various leaders," he said.

The rap doctor added, "If we don't stop politicizing this whole galamsey issue, we will get nowhere. Both NPP and NDC have proven to us they are lairs, so let us set aside these political parties and end illegal mining."

What is 'galamsey'?

Illegal mining, known locally as 'galamsey,' is causing significant deforestation in Ghana, with seven of the country's 16 regions and 34 forest reserves affected, totaling an area of 4,726 hectares.

The Ghana Forestry Commission has said it is intensifying efforts to combat this issue, including military operations and seeking additional funding.

However, despite revised laws and protective measures, challenges like weak law enforcement, corruption, and unemployment contribute to ongoing deforestation.

Other factors like agricultural expansion, illegal logging, forest fires, overgrazing, and infrastructure development also play a role in the loss of Ghana's biodiverse tropical forests.

See the video below:

I loved every bit of this @Okyeamekwame 👏👏👏#StopGalamseyNow #FreeTheCitizens pic.twitter.com/NmH4qWbiDw

— Saddick Adams (@SaddickAdams) September 29, 2024