Constitutional Rights and Policy Strategy Advisor at Democracy Hub, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has called for increased civic pressure on the government regarding its handling of the illegal mining (galamsey) crisis.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, April 26, Mr Barker-Vormawor urged citizens, especially those in mining-affected areas, to speak out and demand decisive action from the authorities.
“I believe that more and more people should be coming into the streets. I think that people in galamsey areas should also be calling the government’s attention,” Mr Barker-Vormawor said.
He argued that the level of public pressure could directly influence the government’s sense of urgency.
“The state of emergency and the temperature for it would even rise based on how much civic demand exists in the space,” he stressed.
Although calls for a state of emergency have increased, Mr Barker-Vormawor said he remains cautious about such measures unless clearly defined.
“Even when the former president was in office, I took a more nuanced position on the state of emergency issue because I’m still apprehensive. There’s a need to define the framework,” he stated.
He expressed concern about the growing rhetoric around using violence to curb illegal mining.
“I’ve written about this, and I’m continuously afraid when people say that a shoot-and-kill approach is the only way. That’s a no. If that’s the understanding people have of a state of emergency, then I’m apprehensive because human life matters,” he warned.
However, Mr Barker-Vormawor noted that a well-structured plan could clarify the government’s position and intent.
“It doesn’t mean the parameters can’t be defined. It doesn’t mean we won’t be able to understand why it is necessary, what the government intends to do, and the due process involved,” he explained.
He also criticised what he described as the government’s lack of clarity and communication on the issue.
“The only defence we’ve heard is a statement attributed to Mustapha Gbande, saying that investors will be queasy. When I wrote about it, he called me and said his words had been misreported. Whether that’s true or not, the real question is: what is the government’s position, and why does it believe a state of emergency will not help? That question has yet to be answered,” Mr Barker-Vormawor added.
Reflecting on a recent visit to an affected area, he described the emotional toll on communities.
“Our law firm has partnered with organisations like A Rocha Ghana, WAKAM, and the Nature and Development Fund to conduct training sessions in those areas and empower community agents.
I just returned from one yesterday. The level of despondency in those communities is huge,” he revealed.
“People believe they can’t do anything about it because the government and the state aren’t investing in the issue. Our chiefs are complicit. If you speak up, you are isolated. People have lost the will to fight. That is frightening,” he added.
He also questioned whether the government recognises the full scale of the problem.
“We keep asking ourselves: is this terrorism? Is this how the government proposes to fight terrorism? Because this is not my language—it’s the minister’s. If we claim we’re facing a Boko Haram-level threat, then we’re certainly not seeing a response that matches that level,” he argued.
He concluded by urging national unity and mass civic engagement across political and social lines.
We’ve been used to dysfunctional politics in this country. But it seems our politics doesn’t know where to draw the line and say: this is an existential threat, and we must rally together to address it.
“I don’t care if it’s political parties, nursing mothers, or prayer walks—we must all confront the government,” he said. “We must keep the pressure high. This should be the one issue where we, as Ghanaians, say: we will not allow this to happen to us”.
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