Ghana has not honoured ‘Departed 8’ enough in galamsey fight – Ashigbey

Dr Kenneth Ashigbey, the CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, has expressed dissatisfaction with Ghana's efforts to combat illegal mining, also known as galamsey, a year after a military helicopter crash claimed the lives of eight individuals. The incident, which occurred on August 6, 2025, prompted the government to announce measures aimed at intensifying the fight against galamsey, such as dismantling illegal mining networks, prosecuting financiers and kingpins, and protecting forests and water bodies.

However, environmental advocates have expressed concerns over the slow pace of enforcement, with major rivers remaining polluted and few successful prosecutions of alleged illegal mining kingpins. Addressing Citi FM on the first anniversary of the crash, Dr Ashigbey lamented that Ghana had not adequately honored the memory of the victims through decisive action.

He recalled his earlier prediction that the tragedy would lead to a significant change in the galamsey fight, but expressed disappointment that only one kingpin had been successfully prosecuted and noted the continued poor water quality in the country.