Social justice activist, Felicity Nelson has stated that her incarceration for her involvement in the #StopGalamseyNow protest was worth it.
Nelson was among several protesters arrested for their participation in the #StopGalamsey demonstration, which called for stronger action against illegal mining operations that threaten the environment and livelihoods.
Reflecting on her time in the Railways cell, Nelson described the complete absence of light and proper ventilation, stating, “It reminded me of being in any of the slave dungeons. The smell in there, it was just like that.”
In an interview on GHOne TV, with Lilly Mohammed, Nelson expressed that her incarceration was worthwhile, it has brought heightened attention to the devastating effects of galamsey and urged stakeholders to take action. She said she would not mind protesting again if it is in Ghana’s interest. She also suggested some measures that would help mitigate the galamsey menace.
“I don’t think that the actions being taken now are enough. I think that the President can do more. So first of all, I think there should be a moratorium on issuing mining licenses immediately. He should declare a state of emergency within forest reserves and around areas where there are water bodies. So those two things are the main things I think it should be done. I think we need to move beyond and then we need to start looking at ensuring that if people are mining, for example, part of the licenses, how much they are paying should be some kind of amount of money that they need to restore the environment. So if it is the soil, if it is the water bodies, we have to make it more expensive. So before you decide to mine, it has to be worth your while. And if you are going to damage the environment, you need to pay for it we should not allow you to just go and mine without having a cost. It should not be a cost to the state. It should be a cost to the person who is gaining financially from that mine.
She continued, “Yes. Why would I not protest? I think that my going out to protest has led to all of these conversations, you know, the Catholic Church, the organized labor, the Catholic Church going out to do their peace walk on Galamsey. Every single thing has been worth it. Every Ghanaian person who has paid more attention to Galamsey and become more knowledgeable about it has been worth it. I do not see why I would not want to do that again. I don’t do this for me. I do this for Ghana. This is not about me at all. If it is in Ghana’s interest, I am down for it.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Salimatu Nuhu
