The atmosphere at the Revolution Square in Accra turned tense Sunday evening when protesters hooted at and drove away Deputy Director of Operations at the Presidency, Mustapha Gbande, during a vigil organised by the #FixTheCountry movement.
The vigil is being held ahead of a planned march against illegal mining (galamsey), scheduled for Monday, September 22. The event, convened by #FixTheCountry leader Oliver Barker-Vormawor, aims to highlight the destruction of Ghana’s environment and water bodies caused by the illegal mining menace.
Mr Gbande, who also serves as Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), arrived at the vigil to engage with protesters and reassure them that the government was working to address the galamsey crisis.
However, his presence was met with fierce resistance, with protesters loudly hooting at him and shouting him down.
In a dramatic scene, they ordered him to leave the grounds, insisting that the vigil was a non-partisan event and political figures were not welcome.
“If Ghanaians were convinced of what the NDC government said, we wouldn’t be here. So please leave here, let’s exercise our right in peace. NDC leaders, please leave here. We are going to send you a petition tomorrow. We are going to engage you tomorrow, so please leave. Away! Away! No political party here. We don’t want to see any political party here. We are not here to engage any political party,” one protester said amid chants from the crowd.
Despite Mr Gbande’s attempt to calm tensions, protesters refused to listen and eventually forced him to leave the venue.
Protesters Slam Government’s Galamsey Fight
Some demonstrators used the opportunity to criticise the government’s approach to fighting galamsey, accusing authorities of going after small-scale operators while powerful figures continue to go free.
“Anyone mentioned in that galamsey report by Prof Frimpong-Boateng, in any serious jurisdiction, all those criminals, those thugs are supposed to be cooling off in Nsawam Prison. Stop going after those little boys in the pit. Go after the real kingpins.
To be honest with you, the President has disappointed us. Eight months into your government, we’ve not seen any action, but each day the Ghana Police are arresting the small boys,” one angry protester said.
Others expressed disappointment over the low turnout of young people, urging them to treat the fight against galamsey as a matter of national survival.
“Very soon there will be no water flowing through the taps,” a protester warned.
Another protester accused the President of being misled by advisors who claim there is no need for a state of emergency, stressing that the galamsey crisis transcends party politics.
“This protest is not about any political party or their interest, it’s about our common survival as a people.
The President is becoming a disaster if he doesn’t act fast and hard on galamsey,” the protester stated.
The vigil continued late into the night, with organisers confirming that the main protest march will take place on Monday.
The planned march is expected to draw greater attention to the worsening environmental crisis caused by galamsey and pressure the government to take decisive action against those fueling the illegal mining trade.
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