The Ghana Police Service has filed an application at the high court in Accra, seeking an order to prohibit the holding of a planned anti-galamsey demonstration by the Generational Rights Protection Society (GRPS), led by Okatakyie Afrifa Mensah and Kwame Appiah Kubi, both of whom are senior and well-known media personalities in Ghana.
Afrifa Mensah and Appiah Kubi notified the Ghana Police Service on 17 April 2025 of their intention to embark on an anti-galamsey demonstration in Accra, starting from Obra Spot (at Kwame Nkrumah Circle) and running through the Ring Road to Liberation Square, opposite Jubilee House.
The event was scheduled to take place from 28 to 29 April 2025, starting at 4pm and ending at 12 midnight.
Clearance permit
According to the affidavit in support of the application on notice – filed on Wednesday (23 April) and deposed to by the General Sergeant of Police at the Greater Accra Regional Police Headquarters, Armstrong Ankomah – the respondents (Afrifa Mensah and Appiah Kubi) have not responded to a letter about the anti-galamsey protest written to them by the police.
Nor have they supplied the police with any permit indicating clearance to use the intended venue (Liberation Square), which is under the control and command of the Ghana Armed Forces.
The police further state: “The command per its security threat assessment coupled with intelligence
gathered, has reasonable grounds to believe that the intended demonstration at the Liberation Square which is directly opposite the Jubilee House may be infiltrated by undesirable elements since the respondents (Okatakyie Afrifa Mensah and Kwame Appiah Kubi), have not provided the police with information on the calibre of persons expected to turn up for the event.”
In addition, the Police Service notes in its pleading that “Generational Rights Protection Society, through the respondents (Okatakyie Afrifa Mensah and Kwame Appiah Kubi), has not given convincing reasons for insisting and maintaining the period and end point for the intended demonstration [against galamsey].
“The right of the respondent to demonstrate provided under the 1992 constitution is not absolute but subject to the respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for public interest.
“In view of the above the Command is convinced that the proposed special event if allowed to go on at the intended location may result in violence which could compromise public defence, public order, public safety, public health, or the running of essential services as well as the violation of the rights and freedoms of other persons,” the police affidavit said.
Public order
“The court, under the circumstances, has the jurisdiction to impose restrictions that are reasonably required in the interest of public defence, public safety, public order and the running of essential services in view of the security situation in some parts of the country and our neighbouring countries as well.
“This is a just cause for the Honourable Court to exercise its jurisdiction in the interest of public order, public safety, public defence and effective policing by issuing an order to the respondents (Okatakyie Afrifa Mensah and Kwame Appiah Kubi), their agents and anyone claiming through them to relocate the event from anywhere close to the Jubilee House and vary the proposed time to between 10am and 5pm on 28 April 2025,” the police affidavit further read.
