By Dr. Clifford Braimah, Managing Director of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), has emphasized that safeguarding water bodies is a security matter and that security forces should protect these resources from illegal mining.
He pointed out that, akin to other countries where water bodies are treated as national security zones, the Water Resources Commission, though a civilian agency, operates under the Ministry of Defence.
Dr. Braimah also suggested that the nation should evaluate the military’s capacity to tackle this issue if it remains unresolved.
The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has voiced serious concerns over illegal mining in the Pra River, which is severely disrupting their operations.
The water supply in the Central Region, including Cape Coast, Elmina, and nearby areas, has been significantly impacted, leaving residents without water for days. These mining activities are undermining the Company’s ability to provide clean and reliable water, jeopardizing regional water security.
Speaking in an interview, Dr Braimah said, “As of now, once in a while, we bring them in, but that is a flash, then it goes off. But if you make it their responsibility and they cannot solve our water bodies being polluted, how can they guarantee that, when there is an invasion of foreign forces, they would be able to stop them?”
He suggested that if protecting water bodies were classified as a national security issue, with the Water Resources Commission operating as a civilian agency under military oversight, the problem could be resolved within 100 days.
Dr. Braimah emphasized that the military would deliver high-quality results and handle the task effectively if given the responsibility.
“So, I think we have reached a stage where we need to be blunt about it. We need to be truthful and confront it head-on. If we leave it in the hands of politicians, Mr A will say, ‘When I come, I will bring them back,’ while Mr B will say, ‘When I come, I will make sure they do not do it,’ and it becomes a game.”
