The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, has called for renewed national commitment in the fight against illegal mining (galamsey) following the helicopter crash that killed eight government officials, including two senior ministers.
In a heartfelt statement released Thursday, Dr. Agyemang mourned the loss of his former schoolmate and friend, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Ghana’s Minister for Defence, and Environment Minister Hon. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. The two were among the victims aboard a Ghana Air Force helicopter that crashed in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region while en route to Obuasi on an official mission to combat illegal mining.
“This painful moment reminds us of the quiet risks borne each day by those who serve our country,” Dr. Agyemang wrote. “Their sacrifice, though often unseen, is real — and in this instance, ultimate.”
He emphasized that the tragedy must not be in vain and urged the country to elevate the fight against galamsey to a national emergency. “If these gallant men were on their way to confront the scourge of illegal mining, then the fight against galamsey must now assume the same urgency with which we respond to death itself.”
Dr. Agyemang concluded with a solemn tribute, offering prayers for the departed and calling on leaders and citizens alike to honour their memory through decisive action against illegal mining. “True honour lies not just in mourning, but in commitment and action,” he stated.
