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The Coordinator of the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), Hon. Nii Lante Vanderpuye, has issued a passionate call for a decisive and uncompromising war against illegal mining (galamsey), following the devastating helicopter crash that claimed the lives of several high-ranking government officials.
Addressing mourners at a flower-laying ceremony held on Friday, August 8, Vanderpuye called on the state to honor the memory of the fallen by eradicating the very menace they were fighting—illegal mining.
“For the lives of these people, I would say we should go all out and finish these galamsey people,” Vanderpuye declared, visibly emotional. “I will support any decision to go all out in this situation. These people have sacrificed their lives for the sake of ending galamsey. If they’ve made that sacrifice for us as a country, we have no excuse but to end galamsey.”
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The fatal crash occurred on Wednesday, August 6, in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region. A Ghana Armed Forces Z-9 helicopter, reportedly en route to Obuasi for an anti-illegal mining inspection, went off radar before crashing in a remote forested area.
Onboard were prominent figures from government and the military who had been central to national efforts to combat environmental degradation:
Civilian Officials:
- Dr. Edward Omane Boamah – Minister for Defence
- Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed – Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation
- Muniru Mohammed Lemunade – Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator
- Samuel Aboagye – Former parliamentary candidate and Deputy Director-General of NADMO
- Dr. Samuel Sarpong – Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress
Military Crew:
- Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala
- Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu
- Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah
All eight individuals died on impact. Due to the severe condition of the remains, DNA samples have been sent to South Africa to confirm their identities before a scheduled state funeral on Friday, August 15.
For Vanderpuye, the crash was not merely a tragic accident—it was a grim wake-up call. He argued that it should serve as a defining moment in the national struggle against environmental degradation.
“I wish I had the authority; it would be war,” he said. “We can’t lose these people and still allow others to remain in the forests and rivers, destroying our environment.”
Vanderpuye stressed that the mission that cost these patriots their lives must not be abandoned but rather pursued with greater zeal and political will.
Government officials, party members, and citizens across the country have been mourning the loss of the eight individuals, describing them as national heroes who died in active service to Ghana’s fight against illegal mining and environmental abuse.
Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, in a national address, described the incident as a “national tragedy” and announced that flags across the country would fly at half-mast until further notice.
The Ghana Armed Forces, together with the Ghana National Fire Service and aviation experts, have launched a full-scale investigation into the cause of the crash, with preliminary findings yet to be made public.
As the nation prepares for the funeral rites of the fallen, calls like Vanderpuye’s echo the sentiments of a population increasingly concerned about the long-term impact of galamsey on Ghana’s environment, water bodies, and future generations.
Analysts say the crash—and the sacrifices of those onboard—could become a symbolic turning point in the fight against illegal mining if backed by sustained political commitment and grassroots support.
“This is the time for all hands on deck,” Vanderpuye concluded. “We must not allow these lives to be lost in vain. Let this be the last straw—let it be the moment Ghana finally stood up to reclaim her environment”.
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