(L) Okatakyire Afrifa-Mensah and Kwame Appiah Kubi (Mr. Speaker) address the press
A coalition of concerned citizens, under the banner of the ‘Generational Rights Protection Society’, has announced a three-day demonstration slated for April 28 to 30, 2025, aimed at demanding urgent action against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, and its devastating impact on Ghana’s natural environment.
The protest, themed “Galamsey Must Fall,” “Save Our Ghana,” and “Ghana Deserves Better,” is expected to draw hundreds of participants from across the country who are rallying to protect the nation’s water bodies, forest reserves, and lands for current and future generations.
The demonstration will also serve as a direct challenge to President John Mahama and his government, which the group accuses of failing to effectively tackle the galamsey menace. Protesters are demanding that the President outlines concrete and sustainable measures to eradicate illegal mining and restore degraded lands.
Rise up
Addressing a press conference under the Kwame Nkrumah Circle footbridge, directly opposite the VIP bus station yesterday, the group’s leader, Okatakyire Afrifa-Mensah, host of “For the Records”, stressed that the time had come for ordinary citizens to rise up and reclaim the nation’s environmental destiny.
“We are not here to please any political party. What matters now is the survival of our water bodies, our forests, and ultimately, our people. Without water, no Ghanaian can survive. Galamsey is not just an environmental issue—it is a matter of national survival,” he stated.
He underscored the group’s position as non-partisan, insisting that their fight was for generational justice, not political gain. According to him, the widespread destruction of rivers, farmlands, and forests across the country by illegal miners was a betrayal of the future and must be urgently halted.
He assured the general public that the demonstration would be peaceful, with strict adherence to legal and security protocols. He also extended an open invitation to all Ghanaians regardless of political affiliation to join the movement in defense of the country’s environmental and natural heritage and present and unborn generations.
Indifference
Another key representative of the group, Kwame Appiah Kubi, affectionately known as ‘Mr. Speaker’, who is host of Kessben Maakye on Kessben TV, added his voice to the call. He lamented the government’s apparent indifference to the worsening galamsey crisis.
“We can no longer remain silent while our rivers turn brown and our forests vanish. We are demanding clarity, commitment, and concrete action from President Mahama—not rhetoric,” he said.
Kubi emphasised that the upcoming protest was not just a street demonstration but a symbolic movement to awaken national consciousness and push for legislative and enforcement reforms that can permanently curb illegal mining.
He reiterated that the group remained resolute in its mission: to ensure that Ghana’s water bodies, forests, and lands are preserved and protected not just for today, but for generations yet unborn.
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