Lack of equipment putting Blue Water Guards at risk – Birim Central MCE
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Birim Central, Solomon Brako Kusi, has appealed for immediate logistical support for Blue Water Guards deployed to fight illegal mining, cautioning that the lack of adequate equipment is putting their lives at risk.
In an interview on Channel One Newsroom on Saturday, January 10, Mr Brako Kusi revealed that security concerns have led some residents in the municipality to decline appointments as Blue Water Guards.
“We as an assembly, do not want to play with the lives of these people who have requested to be Blue Water Guards.
Because when we got 20 slots, some people opted out. They didn’t want to be Blue Water Guards because of the dangers that they’ve heard are associated with the Blue Water Guards,” he said.
The MCE explained that the threat level faced by the guards is compounded by the increasing sophistication of illegal mining operators, many of whom are armed, while enforcement officers are deployed with limited protection.
“The fight against illegal mining, as we all know, is not an easy thing. That’s why successive governments have not been able to, completely eradicate the issue of illegal mining. Some of these things are logistical constraints. Because when these guys went to the mining sites, they met people with pump-action guns and other weapons,” he added.
Mr Brako Kusi emphasised that without the provision of proper logistics and protective equipment, efforts to curb illegal mining would continue to face serious challenges and could further expose personnel to harm.
Source: CNR
