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

Former Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Akwasi Konadu, has criticized the Blue Water Guards programme following the arrest of nine of its members for bribery and impersonation in Manso Adubia, Ashanti Region. The Member of Parliament for Manhyia North asserts that the programme, established to provide community-based intelligence and assist in protecting Ghana’s water bodies, must not be exploited by illegal miners to undermine enforcement operations.

Konadu warns that if illegal miners can buy information or compromise enforcement movements, the entire anti-galamsey framework risks weakening. He questions the government's decision to expand the programme, announcing the recruitment and deployment of 452 additional guards, raising the total to 2,069 across eight regions.

According to Konadu, the focus should be on measurable environmental outcomes rather than personnel numbers. He calls for the establishment of clear protocols regarding who recruits and supervises the guards, how their intelligence is verified, their legal powers, the monitoring of their movements, and the investigation of allegations against them. Konadu contends that Ghana does not require more slogans, uniforms, task forces, or ceremonial launches, but rather tangible results.

He emphasizes that the government must either radically reform the Blue Water Guards programme or reconsider its operation as it stands, asserting that the current situation is unacceptable.