The Chairman of the Western Regional Security Council and Regional minister, Joseph Nelson, is urging the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to deploy effective real-time monitoring systems for comprehensive surveillance of water bodies.
This call follows a major anti-illegal mining operation on Saturday, January 10, 2026, which resulted in the seizure of seven excavators.
Meanwhile, the Western Regional National Security Liaison Officer, Brigadier General Whajah (Rtd), has warned that security forces will sustain their operations in the Amenfi areas.
After months of downstream riverine operations from the Gwira area to the estuary of the river Ankobra, the Western Regional National Security Liaison Officer, Brigadier General Musah Whajah (Rtd.), laments that the regular patrols by the security forces have not resulted in the achievement of their primary objective.
“Over the past several months, our focus has been on the Ankobra River from Gwira Wiaso to the estuary. However, as our observations have continued, we have realized we are not achieving the desired impact.
“This has led us to move further upstream. What we have seen from Tarkwa Bremang in the Amenfi Central District is a clear indication that there remains a great deal of work to be done,” he said.
It is in this regard that a joint operation by the Second Infantry Battalion and the Western Naval Command launched an operation at 5:15 a.m. on Saturday in the Amenfi Central district.
Significant evidence of environmental degradation was observed along the Tarkwa-Bremang road as illegal miners had indiscriminately taken over the land, leaving an electric pole dangerously unsupported.
On the same stretch, barely a metre from the main road, this mining site looked ready to collapse, raising concerns that the road itself could easily cave in.
This activity continued despite a warning signpost erected by the Awuah family, the land’s rightful owners, and repeated earlier complaints from community members.
“We do not support what these miners are doing here. Mining our roads to this extent is unacceptable, but we feel powerless to stop it. They have cut off our roads, making it impossible to transport cocoa from our farms. That is why we are so grateful for these operations, and we urge that its continue.”
While the Second Infantry Battalion actively took action on land, burning makeshift structures, their counterparts in the Western Naval Command struggled to launch their boat, which they had transported from Takoradi.
This was due to the severely silted condition of the river Ankobra. Where it once flowed with deep water, some sections had become ground one could cross with ease.
After all attempts to launch their official boat failed, the team resorted to the use of a small wooden canoe. It was also observed that illegal miners had channeled their waste and polluted water directly into the main river.
Brigadier Whajah warned that the security forces will sustain their operations in the Amenfi areas.
“We intend to sail from Tarkwa Bremang to Prestea, and it has been shocking to witness the scale of land devastation and observe how mining runoff is flowing directly into the Ankobra River.
“Along much of the route we have traveled, we have found that mining activities have obstructed sections of the river. Although I am confident we will navigate past these blockages, I must strongly advise the residents of Amenfi Central and Amenfi West to avoid the river for the time being.
“We will maintain our operations here until we are fully satisfied with the progress, after which we will continue further upstream,” he mentioned.
Following several hours of operations, they retrieved seven excavators and seven water-pumping machines from sites along the river Ankobra.
In a related development, the Chairman of the Western Regional Security Council and Regional Minister, Joseph Nelson, is urging the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to deploy effective, real-time monitoring systems for comprehensive surveillance of the water bodies.
“Tackling illegal activities downstream fails to address the root of the problem. To truly confront the challenges facing the Ankobra River, we need a comprehensive, real-time monitoring system along its entire length. Only with complete visibility can we effectively understand and manage what is happening.
“One practical solution is to deploy an effective drone surveillance system. This would allow us to monitor activities not just downstream, but upstream as well. Currently, even as we focus our efforts downstream, the water’s turbidity remains largely unchanged a clear sign that the source of the issue lies elsewhere.
“By implementing such a system, we can gain a full picture of the river’s challenges and address them more strategically,” he explained.
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