The Minerals Commission has officially begun the deployment of 453 Blue Water Guards across seven Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Western Region. This initiative aims to protect the region’s water bodies from pollution caused by illegal small-scale mining activities.
These 453 personnel form part of a larger national plan to train and deploy 2,000 Blue Water Guards. They completed their training under the Ghana Navy on April 14, 2025, and are now set to operate in collaboration with both the Navy and the Ghana Police Service.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, May 21, during the deployment of 213 guards to the Ellembelle District, the Western Regional Director of the Minerals Commission, Francis Annobil, announced that a total of 326 guards have already been deployed across the selected MMDAs.
He emphasised that the deployment exercise is ongoing and will continue until all trained personnel are stationed.
Mr. Annobil urged beneficiary communities to welcome the guards and offer their support, stressing the importance of community collaboration in achieving the program’s goals.
“These individuals have completed their training, and it is now time for them to go into the field and begin the work they were trained for,” he explained. “We thought it wise to present them to you, so that if you see them in the community, you will know they are on official duty.”
He further clarified that the guards will not be operating independently but in close coordination with the police.
“When they see anyone engaging in mining activities in the forest or water bodies, they will report the case to the police for appropriate action,” he added.
