Young protesters mount pressure on Ghana president Mahama to #StopGalamsey
Young pipo for Ghana dey protest illegal mining (galamsey) wey still dey destroy waterbodies and forests for di kontri.
Di protesters along wit Pressure group democracy hub dey demand say make govment show more commitment to fight illegal mining, as dem tok during dia campaign ahead of di 2024 elections.
For dis same time for 2024, pressure groups #FixTheCountry, Democracy hub, environmental groups and many citizens protest illegal mining under di previous govment of President Nana Akufo-Addo.
At di time, dem call for di ex-president to declare state of emergency for places wey galamsey dey happun.
Dem also call for di govment to arrest and punish public officers wey dey involved for dis illegal mining.
Di govment pipo when dem dey opposition join dis #StopGalamsey movement and demonstration wey dem tok di voters say dem go deal wit galamsey if pipo vote for dem during di elections.
Eight months since di new John Mahama presidency start, di galamsey problem dey become worse, na so di protesters tok.
Di Ghana water company for 11 September 2025 shut down dia treatment plant for Kwanyako for di Central region of di kontri.
"Di decision be sake of intake pumps for di treatment plant breakdown due to heavy silt."
Officers for di treatment plant say bifor di shutdown, dem dey produce ova 25,000 cubic meters of water but dem stop di production now.
Managers for di plant add say unless illegal mining stop, dem go continue to struggle to process water.
Central regional minister Ekow Eduamoah when im meet di local govment committee for parliament tok say "10 out of di 22 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies for di region dey face water shortage afta dem shutdown di Kwanyako treatment plant."
According to di water resources commission, some of di rivers and waterbodies for di kontri get high turbidity level.
CEO of di kontri goldbod wey be one of di politicians wey use galamsey to campaign ahead of di election, say govment dey do well for di fight, even though di waterbodies still dey polluted.
Sammy Gyamfi tok for local radio station Joy FM say "for many areas, di turbidity of di water dey worse but many places too dey improve sake of di work our govment dey do."
According to am, turbidity of River Densu, River Tano, River Offin, River Bia and odas dey improve.
Govment also say dem arrest more dan 200 illegal miners for galamsey sites across di kontri wey dem seize mining equipment on top water bodies for di central, western and eastern regions of di kontri.
But many citizens, civil society and pressure groups say dem neva dey see dis improvement wey di govment dey tok.
Ghana coalition against galamsey issue warning to govment
Di Ghana coalition against galamsey on 15 September 2025 bin issue di following warning to govment.
- 20 million Ghanaians dey at risk of losing clean water
- 50 forest reserves for di kontri dey under threat
- Farmers dey run out of fertile land
- Illegal mining dey poison vegetables and oda foodstuff
- Di kontri water company dey propose to increase dia tariff sake of di pollution of di water bodies wit lead, mercury and cyanide.
Dem demand say make di govment take immediate steps to deal wit di galamsey wahala.
- Govment for declare state of emergency for places where galamsey dey worse
- Sack and prosecute public officers wey dey involved
- Publish water safety and accountability reports
- Provide resources to di anti-illegal mining operations secretariat and di police to go heavy on di illegal activities
Di opposition new patriotic party (NPP) executives don visit some of di water bodies wey dey polluted to hold press conference to show pipo di state of di water.
Some of di water bodies dey chocolate brown in colour.
Wia dis foto come from, KOJO AKOTO BOATENG
Protesters say dem wan urgent action
On 21 September di youth gather for di revolutionary square opposite di seat of govment to hold late night vigil against galamsey.
Di group carry candles, lantern and placards wey dem demand say make govment #StopGalamsey now.
One deputy director for di seat of govment - Mustapha Gbande, comot to beg di youth to cancel di vigil make dem use tok-tok to send dia message to di president wey comot di kontri to attend di 80th United Nations General Assembly (Unga) meeting for New York.
But di protesters refuse wey dem kontri di vigil.
"Di most important tin be say govment go show urgency to deal wit dis mata," leader of pressure group Democracy hub, Oliver Barker-Vormawor tok.
"E be like di govment no really understand wetin we mean say make dem declare state of emergency for dis mata, di govment for tell us what di direction be for dis fight."
Im tok say "nine months be enough time to give birth, wetin di govment born so far?"
Many more pipo dey join dem on 22 September to demonstrate across di city of Accra.
Di young, di old, men and women all wear dia red and black shirts wey dem carry placards wey dey demand immediate action.
Dem carry messages like #StopGalamseyNow, #DeclareStateOfEmergencyNow, #EndGalamseyNow #Galamsey "galamsey dey destroy our waterbodies", "Stop galamsey, save di child" among odas.
Di last time di group demonstrate against galamsey same time last year (2024), police arrest ova 50 of dem wey dem detain dem for 17 days.
Human rights group amnesty international and odas tok say make di govment at di time tok di police to release di protesters, but di police charge dem wey dem dey prosecute dem.
But di new govment drop all di charges against di protesters on 7 February 2025 afta di Attorney General file nolle prosequi - wey mean say dem no go pursue di case anymore.
