A 19-members Blue Water Guard (BWG) for Assin North District, have been inaugurated with a call on them to refuse bribes and never extort monies from illegal miners.

Mr Sylvester Amakye, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Assin North District gave the cautioned at a short ceremony to inaugurate the BWG at Assin Praso.

The DCE explained that extortion and bribery were criminal acts punishable by law, and so they should focus on their core mandate to protect the district’s water bodies against illegal mining activities.

He also urged them to always uphold high professionalism and discipline and never be selective in discharging their duties, emphasising that the law must be applied fairly without favouritism.

Concerning teamwork, he told the guards to collaborate with the Police and the Military to flush out illegal miners operating on water bodies.

Mr Amakye warned traditional leaders against releasing water-prone lands to miners, describing such acts as detrimental to community well-being.

Meanwhile, Mr Osmond Dogbey, the Director of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at Assin Fosu, said the continuous destruction of water bodies posed serious public health risks and could compel the country to import water.

He also appealed to government to provide adequate logistics and ensure the timely payment of stipends to the BWG to guarantee the sustainability of the programme.