Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah
‘GALAMSEY MUST Fall’ protesters took over some parts of Accra, demonstrating against the ruling government’s inability to solve the illegal mining menace, also known as galamsey, as promised during the lead-up to the December 7 elections, which witnessed the government’s re-election into power.
Organised by Generational Rights Society, a pressure group led by broadcast journalist Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah and other groups of young individuals across the country, the protesters converged at the Obra spot yesterday to demand immediate action from the government through a peaceful demonstration.
Protesters, clad in all red and black attire, were seen with placards that read, “Ghana Must Rise Above Galamsey”, “Protect Our Environment, Stop Galamsey”, “Stop Galamsey Now”, and “Mahama’s Actions are Recipe for Disaster – Narcotic Distribution Congress (NDC)”.
Addressing journalists, Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah said it was diabolical and unpatriotic for people to suggest that the pressure mounting on President John Mahama and his government on the galamsey fight is unwarranted, given that he was sworn into office barely four months ago.
“So you mean to say if the President assumes the position in four months, the diseases caused by galamsey, like kidney diseases, have also paused and are not going to affect pregnant women and children anymore? And because of that, they will wait for President Mahama to settle in before it begins to affect people’s kidneys?” he quizzed.
Okatakyie Afrifa emphasised that in these same four months, the government has been able to send a bill to Parliament to establish a gold board, with the President operationalising initiatives that seek to suit him and the government, adding that “so it is all about the scale of preference?”
He also alleged that within this short period, the Mahama government has been able to purchase expensive vehicles for his machinery, “the good people are asking because the galamsey activities are still affecting their daily lives, and we are here to remind the government of his promise to the people who voted for him concerning galamsey, as we do not have the luxury of time to wait for him.”
He stated that it does not take one year for the President to use an executive order to reverse this cancer, stressing, “We won’t rest till we see that this menace is over. He must declare a state of emergency.”
Okatakyie Afrifa said the government had shifted from its promise to repeal LI 2462 to amending it, which he says is not in line with their expectations, thereby expressing concerns over the deportation of individuals who destroy water bodies and forests, instead of prosecuting them under the law. He argued that this policy is discriminatory, citing Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution, which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of race or social status.
“We expect the government to repeal LI 2462 as promised, and not amend it. The policy of deporting non-citizens who commit environmental offenses, while citizens face harsh penalties, is discriminatory and unconstitutional,” he added.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke