4th Batch of Blue Water Guards to Be Commissioned Today in Ezinlibo as Gov’t Ramps Up Galamsey Fight
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah (MP), will today commission the 4th batch of Blue Water Guards at the Ezinlibo Naval Base in the Western Region, as part of ongoing efforts to curb illegal mining across Ghana.
The ceremony, scheduled for later today, will see the Minister inspect a parade by the newly trained guards before delivering an address. Once commissioned, the recruits will be deployed immediately to galamsey flashpoints to support intelligence gathering and enforcement operations.
Since the Blue Water Guards program launched in March 2025, more than 1,600 recruits have been trained and deployed. Their mandate is to collect and relay real-time intelligence to aid the fight against illegal mining, particularly along rivers and other water bodies heavily impacted by galamsey.
The program has become a key support system for the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat [NAIMOS], which relies on timely field intelligence to disrupt illegal mining activities before they cause further environmental damage.
Officials say today’s commissioning will further strengthen the government’s resolve in the fight against galamsey under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama.
The Blue Water Guards initiative is part of a wider strategy that combines enforcement, intelligence, and community engagement to protect Ghana’s water resources and forest reserves.
Source: Paa Kwesi Schandorf, Spokesperson, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources
