Galamsey Must Fall: GRPS Pushes for Government Action
The Generational Rights Protection Society (GRPS), in collaboration with civil society actors and concerned citizens, has intensified calls on the Mahama-led government to take swift and uncompromising action against illegal mining, widely known as galamsey. This comes on the heels of a spirited protest held in Accra under the theme “Galamsey Must Fall.”
The demonstration, led by outspoken media personality and activist Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah, began at the Obra Spot at Circle and proceeded through the principal streets of the capital with the aim of ending at the Jubilee House, the seat of government. Protesters clad in red and black signified the urgency and gravity of the galamsey menace, which continues to degrade Ghana’s environment, pollute water bodies, and threaten lives.
Placards bearing inscriptions such as “Blood, Gold, Greed!”, “Stop Galamsey Now!”, and “No Water, No Life!” dominated the crowd, capturing the anguish and desperation of many affected communities. Some demonstrators also wore face masks and carried water bottles filled with visibly polluted water, symbolizing the toll galamsey has taken on Ghana’s water resources.
One protester, visibly emotional, told journalists, “I joined this demonstration because there is no potable water where I work. We are suffering. Galamsey must stop!”
Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah, the lead convenor of the protest, expressed disappointment with the Mahama administration’s approach to the illegal mining crisis. While acknowledging that the President has been in office for only four months, he argued that this should not be an excuse for the government’s perceived inaction.
“When former President Mahama assumed office, within four months he had presented a bill to Parliament to establish the Gold Board. That showed commitment,” Afrifa-Mensah said. “This President, within the same timeframe, has only taken steps that benefit his government. It is all about scale of preference and priorities, and clearly, the fight against galamsey is not among his top priorities.”
The protest, however, did not end without controversy. Upon arrival at the Jubilee House, the group alleged that police officers frustrated their planned activities despite earlier agreements. According to Afrifa-Mensah, the police reneged on a commitment to allow the group to use Liberation Square or Liberation Avenue to display documentaries and visual evidence of galamsey’s impact.
“We have been law-abiding since 2:00 PM,” he stated. “Unfortunately, the police are now playing games. We agreed to a sequence of activities, including setting up a screen at Liberation Square, but they have sacked our team and denied us the opportunity to proceed.”
Despite the setbacks, GRPS reaffirmed its resolve to present a petition to the presidency. The petition, the group said, contains urgent demands for a comprehensive and time-bound strategy to combat illegal mining, protect natural resources, and restore Ghana’s polluted rivers and forests.
“We are not enemies of the government,” Afrifa-Mensah concluded. “We are only demanding that our leaders prioritize the health of our people and the sustainability of our land. Ghana cannot afford to lose this fight.”
