The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, is set to commission the fourth batch of Blue Water Guards today at the Ezinlibo Naval Base as part of ongoing efforts to intensify the fight against illegal mining activities across the country.

The ceremony, scheduled for Friday, May 15, 2026, will begin with the Minister inspecting a parade mounted by the newly trained recruits before delivering an address to officially deploy them to various illegal mining hotspots.

The Blue Water Guards initiative was introduced in March last year to support government’s efforts to combat galamsey, particularly along major water bodies affected by illegal mining operations.

Since the programme began, more than 1,600 recruits have been commissioned and tasked with gathering intelligence and supporting enforcement operations against illegal mining activities.

The intelligence provided by the Blue Water Guards has played a significant role in the operations of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAiMOS), helping authorities detect and prevent illegal mining activities in vulnerable areas.

The Ministry believe the deployment of the new batch of recruits will further strengthen efforts to protect Ghana’s rivers and forest reserves from environmental destruction caused by galamsey.

The initiative forms part of broader measures being pursued by the government under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama to curb illegal mining and safeguard the country’s natural resources.