Former Ghanaian diplomat and veteran politician, Dr. Tony Aidoo, has urged President John Mahama to ensure that the deaths of eight Ghanaians in Wednesday’s helicopter crash fuel a renewed fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

In the wake of the tragedy, Dr. Aidoo stressed that the late Defence Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, and their colleagues were on a mission tied to environmental protection and responsible mining when they met their untimely deaths.

Speaking on Newsfile, he called on the President to rally the security services, environmental agencies, and local communities to take a united stand against the galamsey menace, warning that the environmental and social costs of inaction would be irreversible.

"After the Chief of Staff gave us the details and confirmed, the first thing was to send the best direct to President Mahama, and I said these eight patriotic souls lost their lives in the fight against galamsey. So for God's sake, Mr President, don't let them die in vain. Stop the galamsey now," Dr. Aidoo said.

The eight victims, including senior government officials and three Air Force crew members, perished when a Ghana Armed Forces helicopter crashed in the Dampia Range Forest Reserve in the Ashanti Region while en route to Obuasi for the launch of a responsible mining initiative.