The Apostle General of Royalhouse Chapel International, Sam Korankye Ankrah, has called for the release of the arrested Democracy Hub demonstrators.

According to him, even though he condemns the unlawful acts of the demonstrators, the government should grant them bail and process them to court if they have faulted.

“We can see the effects of the pollution of our water bodies and the destruction of our forests because of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey. These are some of the effects. Now, the problems are passed on to us. Now, we have to raise money to go and help these unfortunate children, and most of them are coming from the villages where their water bodies have been polluted. They are drinking this water and using this water to cook.

“Sometimes the chemicals and the things they have been using for their mining have even gone into the ground, into the soil, and have affected the plantain, the cassava, and the things they grow.

“I want to counsel the government, both the NPP government and the opposition NDC party. We need, as a nation, to come together and decide that all of us will fight against this illegal mining called galamsey for the sustenance of our environment and water bodies and to save our children and our children’s children,” he said.

Speaking to his congregation on Sunday, September 29, 2024, he further called for a peaceful environment ahead of the 2024 elections.

He added that keeping such people in cells will aggravate the situation.

“We need a non-partisan approach to curb this menace and fight it and get it out of our system. I hear one party say when we come after them, we lose votes. So, what is an election all about? Votes? We are behaving as if democracy has become an albatross on our neck.

“Now I want to plead with the Inspector General of Police and the government. The young boys and girls who have been arrested, the Democracy Hub demonstrators. I am pleading with the government, the court, and the IGP that those young boys be released. Let us give them bail and arraign them before court if they have done something wrong. Keeping them in the cells aggravates the situation and the problems. It makes more people angry, and it makes more people want to do evil.

“I am not saying they are right, especially the one who allegedly took the police car key and threw it away. So, as one of the fathers of this country, let us forgive them. Throwing them behind bars will not solve any problem,” he added.

Many people who demonstrated under the leadership of Democracy Hub, aimed at demanding a crackdown on illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, find themselves remanded by the court over the unlawful act. However, many stakeholders have called for their release.



AM/SEA

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