An environmental advocate and a lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Prof. Eric K. K. Abavare, has questioned Ghana’s commitment to the fight against illegal mining (galamsey), arguing that one year after the tragic military helicopter crash that claimed the lives of eight people on an anti-galamsey mission, little has changed.
In an opinion article titled “One Year After Obuasi: A Nation Still Choosing Gold Over Life,” Mr. Abavare says the country has failed to draw meaningful lessons from the tragedy, insisting that environmental destruction continues unabated despite renewed promises made in its aftermath.
August 6, 2026 marks exactly one year since a Ghana Armed Forces Harbin Z-9 helicopter carrying the late Defence Minister, Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, the late Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, and six others crashed while travelling to Obuasi for an anti-illegal mining programme.
According to Mr. Abavare, the mission symbolised Ghana’s determination to confront galamsey, but its objectives have since faded without significant progress.
“The eight souls aboard never arrived. Their mission, in essence, died on arrival,” he wrote.
He argued that despite widespread public outrage following the crash, Ghana’s rivers remain heavily polluted, forests continue to be destroyed and land reclamation efforts have yielded little beyond official announcements.
“The rivers are still running brown. The turbidity readings from our waterways remain alarming. Land reclamation, promised loudly after the crash, has been reduced to press releases,” he stated.
Mr. Abavare also expressed concern over the growing health consequences of illegal mining, claiming dialysis centres in the Western and Ashanti regions continue to receive increasing numbers of young patients suffering kidney failure linked to exposure to toxic heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic and lead.
He cited several examples which, in his view, demonstrate the continuing impact of illegal mining across the country.
Among them is Samreboi, where he said flooding has become increasingly severe because forest reserves that once absorbed rainwater have been degraded by illegal mining activities.
He also referenced the Tarkwa-Damang corridor, where sections of the road linking the two districts continue to deteriorate after former mining pits weakened the surrounding landscape, disrupting transportation and economic activity.
Mr. Abavare further pointed to repeated shutdowns at the Kwanyako Headworks, attributing them to excessive siltation from degraded riverbanks caused by galamsey, leaving thousands of residents in Effutu and neighbouring communities without reliable access to treated water.
According to him, Ghana has sacrificed its natural resources for short-term economic gains.
“We have destroyed our own life-support system—our rivers, forests, farmlands and air in exchange for gold that we are told will support the economy. The wealth leaves. The contamination stays,” he argued.
The environmental advocate also criticised what he described as symbolic actions by some traditional leaders who publicly invoke curses against illegal miners while allegedly benefiting from the same activities.
He described such actions as “theatrical” and questioned the sincerity of the nation’s collective resolve to end galamsey.
Reflecting on the events of the past year, Mr. Abavare concluded that available evidence—including persistent pollution, damaged infrastructure and what he described as official silence—suggests Ghana has yet to place sufficient value on the lives affected by environmental degradation.
“This country does not yet value the life of an ordinary Ghanaian at the same weight as the life of a minister,” he wrote.
He warned that until the country demonstrates genuine political and moral commitment to protecting its environment, anti-galamsey campaigns would remain ineffective.
Mr. Abavare payed a tribute to the eight victims of the Obuasi helicopter crash, as well as the late Major Maxwell Mahama, describing them as individuals who died in the service of protecting Ghana and expressing hope that their sacrifices would not be forgotten.
By Maxwell Otoo
