FixTheCountry to stage protest against illegal mining

The FixTheCountry Movement has announced plans to hold a vigil on Sunday, September 21, at Revolution Square in Accra to protest the destruction of Ghana’s environment through illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.

The group said the devastation caused by illegal mining continues unchecked and stressed the urgent need for collective action to protect the country’s natural resources.

Convenor of the movement, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, made the announcement last Monday, describing the fight against galamsey as both a moral and spiritual duty.

“On Sunday, September 21, we will have a vigil at Revolution Square, and on Monday, September 22 (a holiday), there will be a march, calling attention to the urgency of our environmental crisis.

“The responsibility to protect and preserve the environment is by divine assignment, ours as a people,” he wrote, adding that the issue transcends electoral politics.

“Our responsibility to end galamsey does not end at elections. Nor does it begin after our party loses one. This is bigger than petty politics,” he stated.

Barker-Vormawor explained that the vigil would be followed by a public march on Monday, September 22, a statutory holiday, to highlight what he called an “environmental crisis of urgent proportions.”

He urged citizens across the country to join the events and demonstrate their commitment to safeguarding Ghana’s environment.

FixTheCountry has consistently criticised successive governments over the handling of galamsey, accusing political interference of weakening enforcement efforts. The group previously staged a three-day demonstration in October 2024 to demand stronger action against illegal mining.