Identified as Naa Densua, she felt compelled to participate because she feared there would be nothing left for future generations due to the environmental degradation caused by 'galamsey'.
During an interaction with the JoyNews, she displayed a bottle containing polluted water, which she claimed was from the Pra River, while exclaiming, "Who will drink? Who will drink?"
When asked why she joined the protest despite her advanced age, she explained that her fight was for her grandchildren.
The woman, angered by the illegal mining and its impact, called for immediate action to restore the country's water bodies by eradicating the menace. She emphasised that this was a fight for her grandchildren's future.
“Because my grandchildren will drink this in two years' time if I don’t help put a stop to galamsey. It has to end. I don’t want my grandchildren to drink this. I want clean water today, not tomorrow.”
“It has gone on for too long. It has to end. Galamsey, no more,” she declared.
She also mentioned that the issue had persisted for far too long and that this was the moment to speak truth to power.
Responding to claims that the government was actively addressing the issue, she expressed her disappointment in the government's efforts to combat galamsey.
"They’re doing what? We are the ones here; where is the government? The government should come and tell us what it's doing. When we understand and see the action, then we will know what is what. No action, we will not go home. We will be here three days.”
Occupy Julorbi House Demonstrations
The #SayNoToGalamsey protest is part of the broader Occupy Julorbi House demonstrations, which is taking place from September 21 to 23, 2023. Organised by the civil society group Democracy Hub, these protests aimed to highlight various socio-economic issues in Ghana, including the high cost of living, corruption, and poor governance.
The demonstrations coincided with Founder's Day, a national holiday honouring Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first president. Despite attempts by the police to halt the protests, participants gathered to hold the government accountable for their actions.