Ghanaian dancehall artist Shatta Wale has reacted to online users encouraging him to participate in the #StopGalamseyNow protest, which seeks to address illegal mining in the country.
In an intense Twitter post on September 26, 2024, Shatta Wale voiced his annoyance and rejected the requests for him to get involved.
He condemned the tactics of the protesters, claiming they were preoccupied with trivial matters.
“You people don’t know how to stop problems. You go there to play music and swim and do nonsense,” he stated.
“Let people die! If you are going anywhere, go and fight! And stop the nonsense talking that you people are talking,” Shatta Wale added.
He also challenged the impact of the music industry on these issues, arguing that the situation would remain the same no matter which government is in charge.
“Do you think the people you’re playing with are small people? Any government that comes into power will do you the same thing,” he added.
His remarks come as various celebrities are being urged to lend their voices to the #StopGalamseyNow campaign on social media, which calls for immediate action to address the galamsey crisis that has resulted in the destruction of farmlands across significant areas of the country.
On Sunday, September 22, 2024, several Democracy Hub protestors, including socialite Ama Governor and model Glenn Samm, were detained on the second day of a three-day demonstration at the 37 Military Roundabout in Accra.
In the meantime, an Accra Circuit Court has ordered that the protesters be held in custody.
They face five charges, including conspiracy to commit a crime, unlawful assembly, causing unlawful damage, offensive conduct, breach of public peace, and assaulting public officers.