The Member of Parliament for Mpraeso, Davis Ansah Opoku, has weighed in on the ongoing discussions surrounding the deployment of 2,000 trained water guards.

As part of the government's efforts to fight illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, announced on March 17, 2025, the commencement of a four-week training program for the first batch of 460 Blue Water Guards.

These guards, comprising both men and women, will patrol and protect water bodies from illegal miners operating within them.

They will also be responsible for providing round-the-clock monitoring and protection of the nation's water bodies.

Speaking at the launch of the initiative at Ezinlibo, the minister emphasised the critical role of this program in combating galamsey.

"The protection of our river bodies is being entrusted to you. You cannot afford to be complacent or irresponsible in the discharge of your duties. Our rivers are more than just bodies of water; they are the lifeline of our communities. They provide drinking water, support agriculture, sustain fisheries, drive tourism and facilitate transportation.

"Yet, the selfish actions of illegal miners are robbing us of these vital resources. The Blue Water Initiative is our response — a comprehensive strategy to safeguard our water bodies and promote sustainable practices," he stated.

However, speaking about the government's initiative, Ansah Poku noted that during the NPP era, military personnel were deployed to combat the illegal mining menace, yet they were unsuccessful.

He questioned why able-bodied military men failed to address the issue, and now the task is being assigned to these young men and women.

"The galamseyers continue to destroy our river bodies and our forest, and I'm praying that the minister clamps down on them. Just to add, in recent times, I've seen the minister recruit some young men, 'water police', who will be protecting river bodies and protecting forests.

"Mr. Speaker, what somebody on social media said is that if able-bodied military men could not protect our river bodies and protect our forests, what are these young men going to do? But probably, maybe, in the spirit of David and Goliath, where David, in a very skinny way, could bring down Goliath, we are hoping that these young, untrained men are able to contribute to preserving our rivers and our forest," he asserted.

Watch Ansah Opoku's comments on GhanaWeb TV below:



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