Renowned activist and legal practitioner, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has issued a strong warning to President John Dramani Mahama, urging him to take decisive action against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, before it spirals into a crisis comparable to the country’s past power outages, or “dumsor.”
In a post on his Facebook page, Barker-Vormawor expressed deep concern over recent events involving a Forestry Commission officer who was allegedly abducted by individuals linked to national security while carrying out anti-galamsey operations.
According to him, the officer, who was part of a Rapid Response Team, was unlawfully accosted by two armed men on motorbikes, forced into a vehicle under threat of being shot, and transported to the Achimota Police Station. However, the police officer on duty refused to detain him.
Reports suggest the arrest was orchestrated on the orders of the Eastern Regional Security Council (RegSec) because the officer and his team had burned down excavators used in illegal mining operations. After Achimota Police refused to hold him, his captors allegedly moved him to an undisclosed location, where he was detained until 2 a.m. before being formally placed into police custody in Kyebi.
Barker-Vormawor condemned the incident, describing it as an abuse of state power against those fighting to protect the environment. He criticized the government for allowing individuals who facilitated and profited from illegal mining to remain in key positions, citing the Head of the Minerals Commission as an example.
“We are now nearing the end of the first quarter of this administration, and many of us have given the government the space to settle in and get to work. But to this day, key individuals who enabled and profited from the destruction of our environment remain in office,” he wrote.
He further accused the government of weaponizing law enforcement against environmental defenders instead of holding illegal miners accountable.
“If this is what the government’s so-called reset looks like—preserving old rot while turning the machinery of the state against those working to protect our environment—then I want no part of it,” he stated.
Barker-Vormawor urged President Mahama to take a firm stance against galamsey, warning that the issue could tarnish his presidency just as “dumsor” did in his previous administration.
“This President cannot afford double-speak, half-measures, or actions that demoralize the very people fighting to curb this destructive greed. Galamsey must not become his new dumsor. Act decisively now, or risk losing those whose faith brought you back into power,” he cautioned.
His statement has reignited the debate on illegal mining and its devastating impact on Ghana’s environment, with many calling for immediate and stringent measures to curb the menace.
