State of Emergency won’t solve Galamsey – Adam Mutawakilu, Managing Director of Ghana Water Limited (GWL)
A declaration of State of Emergency will not provide a lasting solution to the menace of illegal mining activities, commonly known as galamsey,” said Adam Mutawakilu, Managing Director of Ghana Water Limited (GWL).
Mr. Mutawakilu denied calls for a state of emergency during a news conference in Accra on Monday, October 20, 2025. He added that if a state of emergency is proclaimed in one location, galamsey will be going on at another location, which will call for another state of emergency.
“First and foremost I don’t think that the state of emergency will stop illegal mining. If you declare a state of emergency in one area, you must move to another. At the end of the day, the whole of Ghana will be in a state of emergency,” he asserted.
He maintained that a state of emergency would not ensure long-term success in the fight against galamsey, even though it would produce short-term benefits.
Mr. Mutawakilu emphasized the need for more practical and sustainable solutions to stop the environmental damage and water contamination brought on by illicit mining during a press conference held in Accra on Monday, October 20.
“What measures can we put in place for it to be sustained? Is the state of emergency going to be there forever? Won’t the people go back when it’s lifted? We can’t have a state of emergency forever. There must be pragmatic measures to sustain it forever,” he said.
After months of what he refers to as technical difficulties, Mr. Adam Mutawakilu has declared that the Kwanyako Water Treatment Plant is now running at full capacity and generating water at a 100% rate.
Galamsey operations have caused the plant to experience ongoing problems with high turbidity levels, which were over 11,000 NTU, well beyond the facility’s processing limit of 2,500 NTU. Water production and supply to nearby areas has been impacted by this.
The improvement came after engineering work that required moving the pumps from the ground to the surface treatment plant, Ghana Water Limited’s managing director told the media on Monday, October 20.
