Protesters hit Accra streets, demand end to ‘galamsey’
A group of protesters yesterday hit the streets of Accra, to demand an end to illegal small-scale mining, also known as ‘galamsey’, in the country.
The protest was organised by the Generational Rights Protection Society (GRPS), a group of protesters, to draw national attention to the devastating effects of illegal small-scale mining activities in the country.
Led by Mr Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah, the convenor of GRPS, the protesters clad in red and black attire, walked from the Obra Spot, Kwame Nkrumah Circle, through Kanda and ended at the Jubilee House.
They held placards with inscriptions, some of which read “Blood, Gold, Green”, “Unite Against Galamsey”, “Ghana Must Rise Against Galamsey”, and “Stop Galamsey Now”, as they walked through the principal streets of Accra to express their grievances with personnel from the Ghana Police Service present to ensure law and order and to provide security.
The protesters were expected to present a petition to President John Dramani Mahama, at the Jubilee House.
Speaking to the media ahead of the walk, Mr Afrifa-Mensah said President Mahama has had enough time to fulfil the promises he made to address the issue of illegal small-scale mining before the 2024 December Election.
According to Mr Afrifa-Mensah, although President Mahama had been in office for four months, Ghanaians were still feeling the effect of the negative impact of illegal small-scale mining.
“Because President Mahama has been in power for four months, we are not going to accept people’s fate anymore, and for that matter we must wait for him to settle in. The President has been in power for only four months and yet has been able to establish a Gold Board,” Mr Afrifa-Mensah said.
He also lamented the decision of the government to only seize excavators and deport foreigners involved in illegal small-scale mining without prosecuting them.
Mr Afrifa-Mensah said such a decision was “unacceptable” and was against what the National Democratic Congress (NDC) campaigned against before the December 7 general elections.
He, therefore, called on the government to act on the promises it made during the December 7 general elections, adding “We are going to spend three days at Jubilee House after we have submitted our petition
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY
