Ghana has not done enough to honour helicopter crash victims through galamsey fight - Ken Ashigbey

Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, stated on Thursday, August 6, on Citi FM, that Ghana has not done enough to honor the memory of the eight people who died in last year's military helicopter crash. He cited slow progress in the fight against illegal mining, known as galamsey, and said, "If you look at our fight against galamsey, we can't say that we have honoured these eight people as well as we ought to."

The Ghana Armed Forces helicopter crashed on August 6, 2025, while transporting government officials and military personnel. Following the tragedy, the government announced measures to intensify the fight against galamsey, including dismantling illegal mining networks, prosecuting financiers and kingpins, and protecting forests and water bodies. Environmental groups and other stakeholders have expressed concern over the pace of enforcement, pointing to continued pollution of major rivers and a limited number of convictions against alleged illegal mining kingpins. Dr. Ashigbey noted that the expected crackdown has not materialized.