Former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Inusah Fuseini, has clarified that the victims of the recent military helicopter crash in the Ashanti Region were not on a mission to fight illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, but rather to promote responsible mining.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, August 16, the former Tamale Central MP said the mission was aimed at safeguarding the environment while allowing communities to benefit from their natural resources.

“What our fallen heroes were going to do was to promote responsible mining, which means mining the natural resources without damaging the environment,” Mr Fuseini explained.

“That is what they were going to do, and not to fight galamsey*”

He emphasised that their task was to advance sustainable practices in the mining sector, a matter he described as crucial for Ghana’s long-term development.

The crash occurred on Wednesday, August 6, at Adansi Akrofoum in the Ashanti Region and claimed the lives of eight prominent figures.

Among them were Defence Minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye, NDC Vice Chairman Samuel Sarpong, and Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Limuna Muniru Mohammed. Their sudden deaths have left the nation in shock and mourning.

A state funeral was held on Friday, August 15, at the Black Star Square in Accra, where leaders, security officials, and citizens gathered to pay their final respects.

The tragedy has prompted widespread calls for a full-scale investigation into the incident, with many stressing the need to uncover the cause of the crash to prevent future occurrences.