Politics of Tuesday, 27 May 2025
Source: www.ghanawebbers.com
Mr. Ernest Adade, a member of the NPP Communications Team, criticized the Blue Water Guards Initiative. He called it a poorly conceived plan that does not help fight illegal mining, known as galamsey.
Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana with Moro Awudu, Adade accused the John Mahama administration of neglecting the galamsey crisis. He claimed that NDC party members are engaging in illegal mining across the country.
“This Blue Water Guards Initiative is just a job-for-the-boys arrangement,” Adade said. He noted that these young men lack security training and weapons. They are expected to confront armed illegal miners, which he believes is unrealistic.
Adade described the initiative as a superficial response to a serious issue. He questioned sending unprepared civilians into an environmental crisis.
He argued that the program seems focused on providing stipends rather than solving galamsey. “They’re just being paid to feed their families,” he stated. “The Minister has failed woefully.”
The Blue Water Guards Initiative was announced earlier this year by the Lands Ministry. It aims to protect Ghana’s water bodies by deploying task forces against illegal mining near rivers and streams.
However, many people and opposition figures doubt its effectiveness. They believe it lacks the structure and authority needed to combat entrenched illegal mining operations.