Galamsey: Ghana’s rivers cannot afford another failed experiment – Akwasi Konadu

Former Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Akwasi Konadu, has urged the government to reevaluate the Blue Water Guards programme after nine members were arrested for bribery and impersonation in Ashanti Region. In a social media statement, Konadu emphasized that the programme, intended to foster community-based intelligence and protect Ghana's water bodies, should not be exploited by illegal miners to undermine enforcement operations.

He cautioned that if bribery can infiltrate the system, the entire anti-galamsey framework could be compromised. Konadu questioned the government's decision to expand the programme by recruiting and deploying an additional 452 guards, bringing the total to 2,069 across eight regions. He stressed that numbers do not equate to effectiveness and urged the government to prioritize measurable environmental outcomes over personnel counts.

Konadu called for a thorough investigation into the recruitment and supervision of the guards, the verification of their intelligence, their legal powers, the monitoring of their movements, and the handling of allegations against them. He stressed that Ghana does not require more empty promises, uniforms, task forces, or ceremonial launches; instead, it needs tangible results.

Konadu emphasized that the government must either significantly reform the programme or reconsider its continuation in its current form.