Ghanaian broadcaster Afia Pokua, widely known as Vim Lady, has claimed that the recent demonstration organized by Democracy Hub against illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey, is politically motivated.
In her video shared on TikTok, Vim Lady argued that politicians often use such protests to tarnish the image of the current government, especially as elections approach. She suggested that these demonstrations are orchestrated to sway public opinion against the ruling party.
“I support the idea that the police should grant bail to the Democracy Hub demonstrators because they should be aware of the modus operandi of protests, especially in an election year. It’s always politically motivated by the opposition,” Afia Pokua stated.
She went on to express agreement with businessman Cheddar, who also believes the demonstration was politically driven. “For the first time, I agree with Cheddar. This demonstration is politically motivated and it’s not just this one, Kume Preko, CJA, Let My Vote Count, and now Democracy Hub have all been politically motivated. Don’t be surprised if Oliver Vormawor gets a deputy minister if the NDC wins power,” she added.
While Vim Lady supports the release of the arrested protesters, she insists that the actions leading to their arrests should not be overlooked. “Even though I support calls for their release, the act that got them arrested must be condemned,” she emphasized.
The Democracy Hub protest took place in Accra from September 21 to 23, 2024, and aimed to highlight the urgent need for action against galamsey and its detrimental environmental effects. The protest led to the arrest of several participants, including one of the conveners, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, and 12 others. They face multiple charges such as conspiracy, unlawful assembly, causing unlawful damage, offensive conduct conducive to breach
