Ghana is in shock and deep mourning after a military helicopter crash in the Ashanti Region claimed the lives of eight people — including Defence Minister Edward Kofi Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.
The ministers and their colleagues were on their way to Obuasi on Wednesday to launch a government initiative against illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, when tragedy struck.
In the wake of the crash, the government declared three days of national mourning. The remembrance culminated in an emotional “Evening of Reflections and Memorial” at Parliament House in Accra on Saturday. Thousands gathered — from sitting and former presidents to MPs, political leaders, and grieving families. The night was lit by candlelight and filled with the haunting sound of traditional flutes playing dirges.
President John Dramani Mahama called the loss “painful,” saying, “They were only a few days ago vibrant lives, each dedicated to a singular cause — the betterment of our country. They served Ghana with their last breath, and it is our sacred duty to continue that service.”
In line with Islamic tradition, two of the deceased will be buried at the military cemetery.
A tragedy that reignites the fight against galamsey
The crash has brought fresh urgency to the battle against illegal mining — a crisis that has claimed lives, poisoned rivers, destroyed farmland, and scarred Ghana’s environment.
Ken Ashigbey, a leading anti-galamsey advocate, said the deaths should mark a decisive turning point.
“These are environmental criminals we have to deal with,” Ashigbey told TV3. “My prayer is that the blood of these eight gallant Ghanaians will not go in vain — like the blood of Christ, which brought change.”
Awula Serwaah, coordinator of the Eco-Conscious Citizens, called the disaster a grim reminder of the cost of inaction.
“Enough is enough. I think of the children drowned in open pits, the officers attacked, the journalists silenced. Kidney disease cases have quadrupled because of this ecocide. Too many hearts are bleeding,” she said.
Serwaah urged the government to declare a targeted state of emergency, reverse controversial forest declassification laws, and act on the findings of the Prof Frimpong-Boateng report.
Questions over government mining schemes
She also criticised the government’s cooperative mining scheme, saying it suffers from poor oversight.
“Without robust checks, licences become a cover for illegal mining. Farmers are losing their land, fishermen their livelihoods. In Atronu, someone with a mining licence polluted the only drinking water source, yet activists — not the miners — were arrested. This pattern cannot continue.”
For many Ghanaians, the loss of the ministers and their colleagues is more than a national tragedy — it is a call to match promises with real, uncompromising action to end the scourge of galamsey.
