The Generational Rights Protection Society has intensified calls for government action against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, which continues to devastate communities and the environment across Ghana.

Led by prominent media personality Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah, the protest aimed to highlight the growing public frustration over what demonstrators describe as the government’s sluggish response to the escalating crisis.

Clad in red and black, the protesters assembled at the Obra Spot in Accra and began their march toward the Jubilee House.

They held placards bearing messages such as “Blood, Gold, Greed!” and “Stop Galamsey Now!”, sending a clear and urgent message about the consequences of illegal mining.

Speaking to the media, one protester lamented the deteriorating access to clean water in her area.

“I joined this demonstration because there is no potable water where I work.

Galamsey must stop,” she said, echoing the sentiments of many others present.

Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah, the lead convener, expressed deep concern over the continued destruction of water bodies, forest reserves, and farmlands, noting that the effects of galamsey were already contributing to a rise in kidney-related illnesses and loss of lives.

He acknowledged that the President has only been in office for four months but argued that urgent action is still possible.

“When President Mahama took office, within four months, he sent a bill to Parliament to establish a Gold Board,” he noted.

“This current administration has also acted quickly when it suited them.

It’s a matter of priorities '', he concluded.

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