The General Overseer of Action Chapel International, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, has called on Ghanaians to pray for the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod).

He warned that the institution is facing what he described as a “very powerful movement” opposed to efforts to ensure the right thing is done in Ghana’s gold sector.

Speaking during a church service on August 16, the Archbishop said some individuals involved in the gold trade have become concerned about the tightening of controls on illegal gold purchases and are now seeking alternative channels to access Ghana’s gold.

He said he received calls from individuals in countries where Ghanaian gold was previously purchased through the black market, with some allegedly seeking connections to senior officials who could help them access gold through GoldBod.

“They can't get the gold like before illegally, so they want some channels to the Gold Board so they can purchase the gold now from the Gold Board,” he said.

Duncan-Williams expressed concern that GoldBod could be dealing with highly influential individuals with extensive knowledge of the gold industry and significant financial resources.

“It’s clear to me that the Gold Board is dealing with a very powerful movement—people very, very established who know and understand the field and how to do this and don’t want the right thing to be done,” he said.

The Archbishop also raised concerns about the scale of Ghana’s illegal gold trade, recounting a previous encounter with members of a ruling family in a Middle Eastern country.

He said he was told that the quantity of Ghanaian gold received and recorded through illegal channels was three times greater than the amount Ghana’s government had officially recorded as being sold to that country.

The revelation, he said, deeply disturbed him.

“It disturbed me. It really broke my heart,” he recounted.

He further alleged that the individuals behind the illegal trade were highly influential and had substantial financial resources.

The preacher linked the illegal gold trade to broader concerns about Ghana’s future, particularly the impact of illegal mining on the country’s water bodies, farmlands and food production.

He warned that political considerations should not be allowed to undermine the enforcement of laws designed to protect the country’s resources.

The Archbishop therefore urged Ghanaians to devote time to praying for Ghana and for GoldBod as the institution works to regulate the gold trade and address illegal activities within the sector.

“We need to intercede for our country,” he said.