Award-winning Ghanaian actress Nadia Buari has lent her support to the ongoing public campaign and discourse against illegal mining activities in Ghana.

In a September 27, 2024, post on X, the actress assessed the fundamental factors behind the galamsey menace and the involvement of national leaders in the illegal act, which is now proving a threat to Ghana’s water bodies and forest reserves.

“Ignorance, poverty, greed, and the desperation to be rich at once and at all costs seem to be the driving forces behind the pungent act of illegal mining, otherwise known as galamsey, destroying our dear country. All over the continent, politicians no longer just rob their nations, but also now flaunt their ill-acquired wealth in the faces of the same masses that put them in power through the open acquisition of public properties and other matters that really do not matter to the people.

“This, I believe, over time has created the wrong hunger in the citizenry to take their own destinies into their own hands, to undertake activities detrimental to lands, farms, rivers, and other important areas of our various countries reserved for research,” the actress wrote.

According to her, whereas blacks in the past accused the white man of destroying their future, the black man of today is actively responsible for destroying their own future.

She thus urged all persons, including those in leadership positions, to join the campaign against illegal mining, otherwise known as galamsey.

“Please, our fathers, our mothers, our religious leaders, and all reasonable people who have this nation at heart, let’s rise up to stop this menace of greed before it stops our future. Let’s forsake this evil act for the sake of our children. Stopping this, I believe, begins with public education to raise awareness of this dangerous pursuit. Our children must not only be taught about Ghana being a leading producer of gold in the world, but also the danger in abusing our land for such treasure,” she stated.

On the recent arrest of some citizens during a demonstration organized by Democracy Hub, Nadia condemned the arrest while urging support in demonstrating against all wrongs in society.

“Finally, expressing our democratic rights for our rights is always right as long as how we express these rights is within our rights in the law. We therefore must support all forms of protests or demonstrations within our rights to fight these wrongs affecting our land.

“And nobody exercising his or her right to protest against this wrong has done anything against the law to be arrested or detained for any reason,” she stated.

The arrest and subsequent remand of over 40 Democracy Hub demonstrators has led to growing public uproar.

Several public figures following the arrest of the suspects who have been accused by the police of engaging in acts of lawlessness have joined a growing social media campaign for their release.

LET’S STAND UP AGAINST THIS MENACE THAT IS DESTROYING THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY!

Ignorance, poverty, greed
and the desperation to be rich at once and at all cost, seem to be the driving forces behind the pungent act of illegal mining otherwise GALAMSAY, destroying our dear…

— Nadia Buari (@IamNadiaBuari) September 27, 2024