Democracy Hub protest not about galamsey, it's about political interest - Cheddar

Independent presidential candidate and leader of the New Force, Nana Kwame Bediako, also known as Cheddar, has claimed that the recent Democracy Hub protests were politically motivated rather than aimed at tackling illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey.

In a post shared on his social media pages, Bediako acknowledged that galamsey is a serious issue, but argued that the protests were more about advancing political interests than addressing environmental concerns.

Mr Bediako expressed doubts about the commitment of many protesters to the fight against illegal mining, noting that their involvement in previous efforts had been minimal.

He suggested that the focus of the protests appeared to be on attacking political rivals and leveraging the galamsey issue for electoral advantage.

In his view, the demonstrations were carefully timed to shape public opinion ahead of the upcoming elections, making them more about political gain than genuine activism.

Mr Bediako further criticised the leadership of the Democracy Hub movement, pointing out that it lacked representation from key stakeholders in the mining and environmental sectors.

He argued that the absence of these voices undermined the credibility of the protests and their ability to contribute meaningfully to the fight against galamsey, urging the public to remain cautious of movements that present themselves as social justice causes while serving hidden political agendas.

Mr Bediako also called on the youth to stay vigilant and avoid being manipulated for political purposes.

He emphasised the importance of a collective, non-partisan approach to tackling illegal mining, stressing that real progress would only come through collaboration across various sectors rather than political rhetoric.

Mr Bediako reaffirmed his position against politically driven protests, urging Ghanaians to focus on long-term solutions to galamsey.

"All of these protests and demonstrations that have happened in this country in the past year or two, they are organised by one of the duopolies.

It is the same politicians that are behind it.

I have said and I stand by it.

We know that #OccupyJulorbiHouse and #FixTheCountry were formed by one of two major political parties. We cannot do this to ourselves and destroy our own country because of a politician's personal interest or a party's interest."

"Please, Ghanaians, do your research, and you will know that the people in front of all demonstrations have treason charges, and you will know who sponsored them for the mobilisations and all the things that happened. Do your research, this is not about galamsey.

This is about a political interest," he posted.

The protest, held near the 37 Military Hospital Intersection in Accra, resulted in charges of unlawful assembly, conspiracy, and damage to public property. Following clashes with law enforcement, the police arrested thirty-nine protesters.

On Tuesday, they were brought to court and subsequently remanded into both prison and police custody