The Fix The Country Movement has intensified pressure on the government to take decisive action against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, warning that continued hesitation could have catastrophic consequences for Ghana’s environment and food security.
The movement’s concerns have also extended to GoldBod, the state-backed gold trading company, which activists accuse of lacking transparency in the source of its gold purchases.
Edward Tuttor, a member of the Fix The Country Movement, raised questions over GoldBod’s operations, arguing that the company has failed to clarify where it obtains its gold.
“GoldBod has not been clear to us on where they have been getting their gold from. When you ask them, they will tell you they get it from artisanal miners and small-scale miners, which is too vague”
Edward Tuttor, Fix The Country Movement Member
He added that many miners operating irresponsibly in forest reserves and along river bodies claim to hold licences, but accountability remains absent. “What is being done to those who have licenses but are being irresponsible with their mining?” he asked.
Tuttor further expressed concern about President John Dramani Mahama’s recent comments, recalling that the President himself admitted the challenge of distinguishing between gold sourced from licensed miners and that linked to galamsey.
“If the government wants to bring galamsey under control, it can be done,” he added, warning that delays in bold interventions would only feed public suspicion that government actors are complicit – “neck deep,” in the destruction.
Protest at Jubilee House
Tuttor’s comments come after the movement’s frustrations spilled into the streets on September 22 when protesters gathered at Revolutionary Square in front of the Jubilee House.
The demonstration coincided with Founder’s Day celebrations and sought to spotlight the devastating toll of illegal mining on Ghana’s rivers, forests, and farmlands. George Aggrey, a convener of the movement, told journalists that young people would not remain silent if the government continued to drag its feet.
“The government says it is not time to declare a state of emergency on galamsey, and to be honest, I think it is not a good statement to make.
“I don’t know to what extent the government wants it to get to before they see it as a state of emergency. So for me and the teeming youth that joined the protest today, what we are saying is: if the government fails to declare a state of emergency on this issue, then the youth of the land – will declare a state of emergency”
George Aggrey, Fix The Country Movement Convener
Protesters waved placards and banners urging President Mahama to live up to his recent public acknowledgment of galamsey as a national emergency. The movement stressed that the President’s recognition of the crisis as a “national emergency” must translate into immediate corresponding action.
Repeal of LI 2462
In addition to demands for a state of emergency, the Fix The Country Movement is pressing for the repeal of Legislative Instrument 2462, which it argues undermines effective regulation of small-scale mining.
“The problem of galamsey is a clear-cut problem and the solution is clear-cut: repeal LI 2462 and declare a state of emergency,” Tuttor insisted, maintaining that the legislative framework has emboldened destructive practices and complicated enforcement.
The group argued that without a repeal, efforts to regulate small-scale mining will remain ineffective, and the fight against illegal operations will falter. The activists maintained that Ghana’s forests, rivers, and food sources are being pushed to the brink.
They argued that hesitation only emboldens illegal miners while communities downstream pay the price in poisoned water and shrinking farmland. For them, the time for bold action has arrived.
“We don’t need to massage the issues. We don’t need to pretend as if we don’t know what is going on,” Tuttor reiterated, warning that if urgent measures are not taken, galamsey could leave behind irreversible damage, threatening both livelihoods and future generations.
The protesters said they will continue their campaign until government demonstrates its commitment with decisive and uncompromising action.
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