<h1><br></h1><p>Speaking during a church service on Sunday, August 16, 2026, Archbishop Duncan-Williams said GoldBod was dealing with a “very powerful movement” made up of individuals with significant knowledge, influence and financial resources within the gold industry.</p><p>According to the Archbishop, some people who previously obtained Ghanaian gold through illegal channels are now attempting to establish connections within GoldBod to gain access to gold through the state-regulated system.</p><p>He said the introduction of stronger measures in the gold sector had disrupted some of the channels previously used by such individuals, prompting them to look for alternative means of obtaining gold.</p><p>Duncan-Williams expressed concern that the people involved could have considerable financial and industry influence, making efforts to regulate the sector more challenging.</p><p>He also recounted an encounter with individuals from the Middle East whom he said had knowledge of the scale of Ghanaian gold being traded through unofficial channels. He claimed that the volume of gold reaching one Middle Eastern country through illegal channels was significantly higher than Ghana's officially recorded exports to that country.</p><p>The Archbishop linked the illegal gold trade to the broader problem of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, which has caused extensive damage to Ghana's water bodies and farmlands.</p><p>He urged Ghanaians to intercede for GoldBod and other institutions responsible for protecting the country's natural resources and regulating the gold trade.</p><p>“We need to intercede for our country,” he said, stressing the need for continued efforts to ensure that Ghana's mineral resources benefit the country.</p><p>GoldBod has been at the centre of Ghana's efforts to reform the gold-trading sector and combat illegal gold dealings. The institution's operations have also recently attracted political debate, including claims about its financial performance, which its Chief Executive Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, has rejected.</p><p>Duncan-Williams' remarks have since generated further discussion about the challenges facing Ghana's gold sector. Anthony Abayifaa Karbo, a leading member of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia's team, has responded by arguing that prayer should complement, rather than replace, effective governance, institutional accountability and concrete action.</p><p><br></p>