‘Pray for GoldBod’ – Duncan-Williams Warns of Powerful Forces Behind Alleged Illegal Gold Trade

Accra: The founder of Action Chapel International (ACI) Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams has called for prayers for the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), saying the institution is facing a powerful and well-established movement opposed to efforts to regulate the country's gold trade. According to Ghana Web, his remarks come amid Ghana's broader efforts to formalize the gold trade and tackle illegal mining, with GoldBod playing a central role in the government's efforts to regulate gold purchases and exports. Speaking during his church service on Sunday, August 16, 2026, he said information he had received about illegal gold trading had raised serious concerns about the challenges facing GoldBod and the country's fight against illegal mining and illicit gold transactions. Duncan-Williams stated that individuals who previously obtained gold through illegal channels are now seeking access to GoldBod to purchase gold through the formal system. 'With what I was told by this Sheikh, they can't get the gold like befo re illegally,' he said. 'So they want some channels to GoldBod so they can purchase the gold now from GoldBod,' he explained. According to Duncan-Williams, the situation suggests that GoldBod is dealing with influential and experienced actors within the gold trade who do not want stricter enforcement and regulation to succeed. 'It is clear to me that GoldBod is dealing with a very powerful movement, these are people who are very established, they know and understand the field. They do not want the right thing to be done,' he said. Duncan-Williams also raised concerns about the political challenges surrounding the enforcement of laws against illegal mining, warning that political interests could undermine efforts to protect Ghana's natural resources and future generations. 'In the name of politics, we are destroying the future of our children and our grandchildren,' he said. He pointed out that political leaders might become reluctant to enforce laws when they feared losing electoral support. 'If anybody tr ies to make the law work, we turn everything into politics,' he noted. He added that politicians could face pressure from voters who threatened not to support them if they took unpopular decisions. 'If you don't do what I want, next time I won't vote for you,' he quoted such voters as saying. Duncan-Williams suggested this could lead politicians to tolerate lawlessness to protect their parliamentary seats or their political parties. 'People don't want to lose their seat in Parliament, they don't want their party to lose. So they give in and allow lawlessness to continue,' he revealed. He also expressed concern about the wider environmental impact of illegal mining, particularly its effect on Ghana's water bodies, farmland, and food production. 'We are poisoning the land,' he said, warning that the consequences of the country's current approach could affect generations yet to come. 'The future is in trouble,' he warned. Duncan-Williams recounted information received from a Sheikh about the volume of gold al legedly purchased illegally from Ghana. He claimed the Sheikh told him that records existed of substantial quantities of illegally acquired gold bought from Ghana, while Ghana itself did not have corresponding records. 'The amount of illegal gold that they bought, they had records of it,' he said. 'Ghana didn't have a record of it.' He claimed the volume of gold without corresponding Ghanaian records was greater than the amount officially sold by the government to the buyers. 'The one Ghana had a record of was what the government sold,' he said. 'But the one Ghana didn't have a record of was more than what Ghana sold to them.' The Archbishop said the alleged discrepancy raised questions about the effectiveness of Ghana's laws and enforcement systems. 'For whatever reason, it looks like the rules and the laws are not working,' he said. Duncan-Williams concluded his appeal by asking his congregation to pray for the country and its future, particularly in relation to illegal mining, natural resources, and the work of institutions seeking to enforce the law.