By P. K. Yankey
Ezinlibo (W/R), April 15, GNA – The first batch of 453 trainees for the Blue Water Guards project has successfully passed out.
Their mandate is to protect water bodies in the collective resolve to clamp down on illegal mining activities popularly called galamsey in parts of the country’s riverine bodies.
Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources who was the Guest of Honour, during the passing out of the pioneer group said it marked a new dawn in the fight against illegal mining activities.
He applauded the guards for their perseverance and dedication reminding them to let the knowledge and skills they acquired, arm them as vanguards in the national strategy to safeguard river bodies.
He reminded them of their role as “the eyes, ears and first line of defence working alongside traditional leaders and local communities to protect water bodies from the scourge of illegal mining “.
Mr Armah-Kofi Buah said it was their duty to observe, report and escalate threats to the Ghana Navy Riverine Command centres expeditiously.
He said the code of conduct they had signed was a binding commitment to professionalism and integrity adding that” any breach of this code, any compromise in your duties, will attract stiffer sanctions”.
“The task before you are sacred; the future of our water bodies depends on your vigilance.
Do not go and join the illegal miners’ gangs by collecting bribes to aggravate the situation”.
Mr Armah-Kofi Buah said temporal operating basis had been established along the Ankobra,Fia, Bonsa and downstream Pra Rivers to ensure rapid response through coordinated boat patrol surveillance and intelligence sharing with other security agencies to an unyielding presence to deter illegal mining act.
“To strengthen this initiative, additional speed boats, patrol vessels, motorbikes are being procured to support these strategic efforts by the Navy enabling the extension of the Blue Water programme to the Central, Eastern, Ashanti,Bono and Savannah Regions”.
The Minister reiterated that beyond saving the environment, the initiative would create 2,000 direct jobs by employing Ghanaians while protecting Ghana’s ecological heritage.
Mr Armah-Kofi Buah said the Blue Water Guards initiative was just one pillar of a broader comprehensive strategy to reform Ghana’s mining sector.
“We recognize that small scale mining contributes significantly to our economy”.
In 2024 alone, Ghana generated $4.6 billion from small scale mining through gold export.
He said, “the goal of government was to see diligent miners grow into medium scale operators and eventually become large scale miners, but the caveat is to guide them to mine responsibly and sustainably”.
Madam Emelia Arthur, Minister for Fisheries and Aqua Culture, said 60 percent of Ghana’s animal protein is dependent on fisheries with the fisheries sector contributing 1.1 percent to Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
She said Ghana was losing indigenous species and aquatic resources and the Water Guards initiative would have a significant impact on the fisheries sector and focus was on aqua culture development which required water and contaminated water cannot be used.
The Minister urged the recruits to do a good job but not join the illegal miners.
Dr Omane Boamah, Minister for Defence, in a speech read for him, pledged the full support of the Ministry in fighting the galamsey canker adding that illegal mining remained one of the greatest threats to national security.
He said the Ministry would deploy a sizeable force in the battle against galamsey if galamseyers would not stop polluting river bodies and degrading forest reserves and charged traditional rulers to partner the recruits in their collective resolve to clamp down on galamsey activities.
Commander Asiedu Boateng, the Acting Commander, Naval Forward Operations Base of Ezinlibo said the recruits were trained to develop their capacities to collaborate with law enforcement agencies in intelligence gathering and appealed to the recruits to apply all the skills they had acquired to discharge their duties.
Paramount Chief of the Lower Lower Axim Traditional Area, Awulae Attibrukusu III, who chaired the ceremony, expressed concern about how babies were born with lots of deformities and charged Chiefs and Queenmothers involved in galamsey activities,to refrain from the practice.
Awulae Attibrukusu III warned that any Chief or Queen who was found culpable of galamsey activities, would be arrested and prosecuted.
He said things were getting out of hand in the fight against galamsey and commended Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah,the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources for that initiative.
The Guards were equipped with skills, physical endurance, basic arms handling, combat techniques, survival swimming, waterman ship and boat operation.
The Blue Water Guards initiative forms part of President John Dramani Mahama’s 120 social contract with the people of Ghana spearheaded by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, partnered by the Ministry of Defence, Minerals Commission, the Ghana Navy, Ministry of Fisheries and Interior, Traditional Rulers among others.
Under the operational command of the Navy Riverine unit, the Blue Water Guards will serve as an early warning mechanism re-enforcing the surveillance and deterrence efforts.
GNA
MSM/GRB