The founder of Action Chapel International (ACI), Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, has called for prayers for the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), warning that the institution is facing a powerful and well-established movement opposed to efforts to regulate the country’s gold trade.

Speaking during his church service on Sunday, August 16, 2026, Duncan-Williams said information he had received about illegal gold trading had raised concerns about the challenges facing GoldBod and Ghana’s fight against illegal mining and illicit gold transactions.

“We need to pray for GoldBod,” he said.

He said people who previously obtained gold through illegal channels were 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 before 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 development suggests GoldBod is dealing with influential actors 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.

He also warned that political interests could undermine efforts to tackle illegal mining and protect Ghana’s natural resources.

“In the name of politics, we are destroying the future of our children and our grandchildren,” he said.

“If anybody tries to make the law work, we turn everything into politics,” he noted.

He said politicians could face pressure from voters who threaten to withdraw their support if unpopular decisions are taken.

“If you don’t do what I want, next time I won’t vote for you,” he quoted such voters as saying.

“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.

Duncan-Williams further expressed concern about illegal mining’s impact on water bodies, farmland and food production.

“We are poisoning the land,” he said.

“The future is in trouble,” he warned.

He also recounted information he said he received from a Sheikh about the volume of gold allegedly purchased illegally from Ghana.

“The amount of illegal gold that they bought, they had records of it,” he said. “Ghana didn’t have a record of it.”

“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 by urging prayers for Ghana, its future, natural resources and institutions working to enforce the law.

ANAS/VPO

GoldBod operations: We need to pray for the GoldBod because they are dealing with a very powerful movement who don't want the right thing to be done - Archbishop Duncan-Williams#JoyNews pic.twitter.com/WzgrMIjnK4

— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) August 16, 2026