#FixTheCountry to Stage Massive Protest Over Rampant Illegal Mining Crisis
Movement mobilizes for May 1 demonstration to address the worsening environmental crisis caused by galamsey activities.
- #FixTheCountry Movement plans a major demonstration on May 1, 2025
- The protest highlights the severe destruction of Ghana’s forests and communities
- Activists are pushing the government to address the ongoing environmental crisis
The #FixTheCountry Movement is set to hold a powerful demonstration on May 1, 2025, calling for immediate government action against the rampant illegal mining that is devastating Ghana’s forests and communities.
Oliver Barker-Vormawor, the movement’s lead convener, shared the details of the protest, aptly named “May Day, May Day,” during an interview.
He described the protest as a desperate call for action amid the country’s escalating environmental crisis.
“For months, we’ve seen the government act swiftly on other issues, but when it comes to this, there’s no clear plan. People say we need more time, but time has already been lost. It’s time to step up and demand urgent action,” Barker-Vormawor asserted.
He emphasized that the focus should no longer be on the legality of mining, but on the responsibility of the mining operations, both legal and illegal, which are wreaking havoc on the environment.
“Large mining companies, often legally recognized, are also damaging forests, with the state complicit by giving out vast concessions. Meanwhile, local communities continue to suffer, fueling illegal mining—this is galamsey too,” he explained.
Barker-Vormawor also mentioned his law firm’s collaboration with seven environmental organizations in a legal battle to halt mining in protected forest reserves, but the case has stalled due to the government’s misleading claims regarding the repeal of Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, which allows mining in forest reserves.
In response, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Kofi Armah Buah, defended the government’s actions, pointing to the arrest of 76 illegal miners and the seizure of 100 excavators since President Mahama’s return to office in January.
Furthermore, Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka-Mubarak has ordered the transfer of all police commanders stationed in mining regions as part of a broader crackdown on galamsey activities.
Despite these steps, the #FixTheCountry Movement insists that more decisive and comprehensive action is required to halt the environmental destruction caused by illegal and reckless mining practices.
