President Mahama Announces GH¢400M In Next Budget for Additional Blue Water Guards
Government has made provision for an additional GH¢400 million in the 2027 Budget to recruit more Blue Water Guards to strengthen patrols on Ghana’s water bodies and intensify the fight against illegal mining.
President John Dramani Mahama announced the funding during a meeting with chiefs of the Western North Regional House of Chiefs at the Presidency in Accra, where he called for stronger collaboration between government and traditional authorities to protect the country’s rivers and forest reserves.
“In next year’s Budget, the Minister of Finance has provided another GH¢400 million to employ more Blue Water Guards to patrol the water bodies,” President Mahama stated.
He explained that the additional personnel would support efforts to prevent illegal mining activities on rivers, adding that the guards had been instructed to destroy changfang machines whenever they encountered them. The President noted that several such machines had already been destroyed and that some main river channels had been cleared of the equipment.
President Mahama, however, pointed to the difficulty of protecting the entire river network, particularly tributaries that extend for hundreds of kilometres. He observed that even where the main channels had been cleared, mud and silt continued to flow from tributaries, demonstrating the need for sustained monitoring and enforcement.
The President also called on traditional authorities to support the anti-galamsey campaign, particularly in communities where enforcement operations had faced resistance. He said chiefs had an important role because of their close connection with the people and their influence within their traditional areas.
“We need your support in the fight against illegal mining,” he appealed, linking the need for enforcement to the importance of providing alternative livelihoods for young people. He explained that the government’s New Economy Policy, which plans to invest US$10 billion in job-creating sectors, was intended to provide economic opportunities that would discourage young people from engaging in illegal mining.
President Mahama further disclosed that government had cleared all nine forest reserves previously classified as red zones because of extensive destruction and the presence of heavily armed illegal miners.
He said soldiers had been stationed in the areas to prevent the miners from returning.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
