We must rally and do everything possible to fight galamsey — Oliver Barker

Ghanaian social activist and lead convener of the Democracy Hub pressure group, Oliver Barker Vormawor, has called on Ghanaians to rise up and confront the illegal mining menace head-on.

He made the call during an interview on Accra-based JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, April 26, where he lamented the growing despondency among communities affected by illegal mining activities, popularly known as galamsey.

Barker Vormawor said the situation had reached a critical point where ordinary citizens must take action to demand accountability from the government and traditional authorities.

“It seems to me that our policies do not know where to draw the line and say that on this issue, we are facing an existential threat, we must rally and do everything that it entails,” he stressed.

He noted that the fight against galamsey should not be left to a few individuals or groups but must become a collective national effort.

“I don’t mind whether it is political parties on the streets, I don’t mind seeing mothers, whether it’s a prayer walk, we must all descend on government and we must all keep the temperature and the pressure high,” he added.

The activist stressed that Ghanaians must make it clear that they will not sit back and allow the destruction of the country’s natural resources to continue unchecked.

“This should be the one thing where we say that we Ghanaians will not allow this to happen to us,” he stated.