The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of K-San Law Firm, Charles Owusu Juanah, has strongly criticised the timing of the recent anti-galamsey protests over the devastating effects of galamsey in the country.

The legal practitioner has questioned the timing of these anti-galamsey protests by various advocacy groups, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and churches indicating that the protests are too late and serve more as platforms for political ambitions rather than genuine efforts to address the issue.

Speaking at a presser in Accra, lawyer Charles Owusu Juanah pointed out that the urgency of the situation has over the years been overlooked because water bodies in the country started turning brown long ago and wondered why those championing the anti-galamsey protests have now found their voice.

“This is not the right time to be staging anti-galamsey protests because the water bodies started turning brown a long time ago but all these people have now found their voices. All these protests are politically motivated. Why do we want to take advantage of this short time to establish our political ambitions? It is irresponsible and it is not right", he stated.

He emphasised that with less than three months left for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to end his tenure, effective solutions to the galamsey crisis time are unlikely because the menace is deeply entrenched with complex socio-economic factors and require long-term strategies for proper planning and execution.

“With less than three months left in the president’s term, it is highly unlikely that we will see any effective solutions to the galamsey crisis because it may be reactive and may not achieve the intended results looking at how the situation is deep-rooted," he added.

He expressed particular disappointment in churches participating in the protests, arguing that there is no biblical basis for church leaders to organise such events.

"I don’t know anywhere in the bible where it is written that church leaders can organise a prayer protest" he questioned.