The fight against illegal mining, or “galamsey,” in Ghana has expanded beyond an existential or environmental issue to represent a larger struggle for democracy, justice, and the protection of civil liberties.
Recent arrests and detentions of anti-galamsey demonstrators emphasize this point. Felicity Nelson, a social justice activist involved in the anti-galamsey movement, and former activist Benjamin Akuffo Darko, have voiced significant concerns about the motives and integrity of the state’s actions in these cases.
Their remarks paint a picture of a justice system under political pressure, where innocent people pay the price of state repression. Felicity Nelson, who is also a seasoned journalist, in her scathing critique of Ghana’s criminal justice system, condemned the inhumane treatment against the anti-galamsey protestors.
“…21 out of the 53 people that were arrested have had all of their charges dropped by the AG. 21 people were detained for 14-17 days wrongfully. Some of them were even held in prison custody. Prison custody!! Imagine being held in a Ghanaian prison for 14 days when you’re completely innocent”.
Felicity Nelson, a Social Justice Activist
Her accusations are serious, criticizing the Ghana Police Service and the Attorney-General’s office for misusing state power to erode fundamental human rights.
Felicity Nelson’s words reveal a troubling truth—that in present-day Ghana, protesting against government inaction on environmental destruction, a crisis from which the ruling government has paradoxically benefited can result in imprisonment.
Nelson cited the case of Benjamin Akuffo Darko as an example of this wider issue, recounting that Benjamin, who was not at the protest due to other commitments, was arrested by police after visiting fellow activist Osagyefo Oliver Barker-Vormawor in the hospital.
She noted that Benjamin was subsequently taken to court and remanded for 14 days, decrying the effects of Benjamin’s wrongful detention.
“Nearly 6 weeks after his initial arrest, the state has decided to drop all charges against him … Whilst on remand, Benjamin lost his job and his school scholarship. The state never had a case against Benjamin, the police in connivance with the AG held an innocent man in police cells for 14 days. They didn’t care that he was completely innocent of all charges”.
Felicity Nelson, a Social Justice Activist
The AG’s Office and Ghana Police: Complicit in Injustice
The decision to drop charges against these protestors raises serious questions. In Felicity Nelson’s criticism, she questioned if there was enough evidence to justify the initial arrests, and why were the charges ultimately dropped.
She accused the Office of the Attorney-General of persecuting innocent citizens on baseless charges, lamenting over the state of the country’s criminal justice system.
For Felicity Nelson, this incident shows a pattern of using state power to intimidate and silence those who challenge the status quo. She succinctly described it as an abuse of authority.
“Why are you suddenly dropping their charges? Why do you think you have a right to deny people their freedom when you’ve obviously not got enough evidence? This is evil !! 11 innocent people were sent to prison. 10 innocent people were sent to police cells. This is pure evil”.
Felicity Nelson, a Social Justice Activist
She pointed out that protestors are not crimes but are vital to a functioning democracy, asserting that suppressing them silences a nation’s voice. Felicity Nelson’s urgent plea served as a call to action.
“We cannot sit back and watch in silence whilst the lives of individuals are disrupted in the most heinous ways… Ghana is truly a crime scene!”, she declared, admonishing that Ghana’s judicial system must strive for higher standards and remain free from political interference.
A System Rigged Against Dissent
Benjamin Akuffo Darko, who until recently was the Associate Programmes Officer at Democracy and Accountability Hub and Community Organizer at the FixThe Country Movement in his written account after the charges were dismissed, highlighted the severe personal and professional consequences of his detention.
“On September 25th, I was picked up by the state. After being detained for over 11 days, which cost me my job and school scholarship, the state..decided to withdraw the trumped-up charges against me”.
Benjamin Akuffo Darko
His story represents a justice system increasingly used as a tool against dissent with Benjamin Akuffo Darko asserting that what should be a protected right—protesting environmental damage from galamsey—has become risky and punishing.
“I have now returned to square one, having to restart from the bottom. Activism is costly, so please do not mock those who risk their lives in demanding better for us all”, Benjamin Akuffo Darko remarked, underscoring the stark reality of the dire cost of activism in Ghana.
His final note read as a conclusion filled with gravity: “This is my last dance… I must focus on restoring my life’s stability, so I bid you all farewell for now”.
Beyond the immediate suffering of Felicity Nelson, Benjamin Akuffo Darko, and the other protestors, this episode highlights a larger, more harmful trend—the deterrent effect on public activism.
In a country where peaceful protests can lead to arrest and imprisonment, while real culprits go free, activism is an act of courage with significant personal stakes.
Benjamin’s poignant farewell, “May God bless our homeland Ghana and make her great and strong,” is both an expression of hope and an indictment. It embodies a nation’s potential being undermined by leaders who undermine the very democratic values they are supposed to uphold.
The wrongful detention of protestors should not be dismissed as a mere oversight; it is a calculated act with tangible consequences. The stories of Benjamin Akuffo Darko, Felicity Nelson and many others should motivate change.
The AG’s office and the Ghana Police Service must be held accountable for such transgressions if it is truly proven that they instigated the prosecution against the protestors without evidence.
True accountability should be more than a catchphrase, and the law must defend the innocent rather than target or punish them.
