Eco-Conscious Citizens urge IGP to address arrest of farmers on Farmers’ Day
Eco-Conscious Citizens, a leading environmental advocacy group, have raised serious concerns regarding the alleged arrest of four farmers in Atronsu on Ghana’s Farmers’ Day.
The farmers, who are also community activists, were detained for allegedly burning an excavator used by illegal miners, a move that has sparked outrage among local residents and environmental advocates.
Eco-Conscious Citizens in an open letter to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), highlighted a troubling contrast: while the farmers face legal repercussions, the illegal miners responsible for polluting the Atronsu Stream—the community’s sole source of drinking water—remain largely unpunished.
“It is of concern that the illegal miners who have been actively poisoning the only source of drinking water in Atronsu are walking free,” the letter stated.
Awula Serwah, the founder and coordinator of Eco-Conscious Citizens, emphasised that the farmers have been vocal about the pollution of the Atronsu Stream for months, yet their complaints have seemingly fallen on deaf ears. Despite formal reports to the police and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the illegal miners continued their activities with impunity. Although some miners were arrested, they were quickly released on bail and returned to their operations.
The letter criticises the police’s handling of the situation, suggesting a perception of “selective justice” that undermines public confidence in law enforcement. “The optics do not look good,” Serwah noted, pointing out the disparity in treatment between the illegal miners and the activists. While the miners were granted bail, anti-galamsey demonstrators have reportedly been denied similar leniency.
Eco-Conscious Citizens are calling on the IGP to intervene and ensure that justice is served fairly. They argue that allowing illegal mining activities to continue unchecked, while penalizing those who stand against them, constitutes a grave injustice. “To appear to condone the criminal activities of the illegal miners, whilst wielding the law heavily on the victims of the crime committed by the miners, would be an extremely unfortunate injustice,” the letter concludes.