We owe it to helicopter crash victims to end galamsey - Awula Serwah

Awula Serwah, Coordinator of Eco-Conscious Citizens, called for decisive action against illegal mining on Thursday, August 6, on JoyNews' The Pulse. She argued that Ghana owes it to the victims of the August 6 helicopter crash and everyone else who has died because of the menace. Ms Serwah described illegal mining as an "ongoing ecocide" and stated, "Everybody who has died, we owe it to them to do something about this menace, this ecocide that is destroying Ghana."

The call was made as Ghana marked the first anniversary of the crash that claimed eight lives. Ms Serwah said the helicopter tragedy should not be viewed in isolation but as part of a wider environmental and humanitarian crisis. She noted that victims extend beyond the eight officials who died in the helicopter crash, including children who have fallen into open pits, deformed babies, mothers who have lost their lives giving birth due to mercury poisoning, and police officers who drowned while chasing illegal miners. Ms Serwah cautioned that initiatives such as responsible or community mining would not solve the problem unless authorities strictly enforced the law.