The FixTheCountry Movement has warned that Ghana’s youth may be compelled to declare their own state of emergency if the government fails to take decisive action against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
Speaking after the group’s protest at the Revolutionary Square, near the Jubilee House, on Monday, September 22, a convener of the Movement, George Aggrey, criticised what he described as the government’s weak and unacceptable response to the crisis.
“If the government says it is not time to declare a state of emergency on the galamsey, to be honest, I think it is not a good statement to make,” Aggrey said.
“I don’t know 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—we will declare a state of emergency.”
The demonstration, which coincided with Ghana’s Founder’s Day, sought to draw attention to the urgent need for stronger action against the widespread environmental destruction caused by galamsey.
Protesters carried placards and banners, urging President John Dramani Mahama to honour the legacy of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, by defending the country’s land, water bodies, and future.
The group argued that galamsey poses a direct threat to food security, access to clean water, and the survival of generations to come.
