Ghanatodayonline.com News, Politics, Health, Education & More
On May 1, 2025, the #FixTheCountry Movement intends a large-scale street demonstration to call on the government to take immediate action against the irresponsible and unlawful mining operations that are destroying Ghana’s communities and forests.
On Friday, April 4, 2025, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, the lead organizer, announced this on JoyFM’s Ghana Connect, characterizing the planned demonstration, called “May Day, May Day,” as a symbolic appeal for assistance in light of the nation’s deteriorating environmental situation.
“For months, we have seen the government act swiftly on other matters. But on this, there’s no clear roadmap. People say we should give them more time, but we believe time has already been wasted. We are stepping out to demand urgent and serious action,” he stated.
He emphasized that the discussion of unlawful mining should shift from merely classifying activities as legal or illegal to addressing the more comprehensive question of responsible versus irresponsible mining methods.
“We often focus too much on legality. But the real issue is irresponsibility—how mining is done and its impact on people and the environment. Some big mining companies, though considered legal, are also destroying forests, and the state has allowed it by giving them huge concessions. Meanwhile, local communities remain impoverished, which in turn fuels illegal mining. That too is galamsey,” he stressed.
Since last year, his legal firm has been fighting to halt mining in protected forest reserves in court alongside seven environmental organizations, Mr. Barker-Vormawor disclosed. The lawsuit has stagnated, though.
He said that the government had misled the court by asserting that Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, which allowed mining in forest reserves, had been abolished.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
