It was one of the usual normal working days of the week. Full of freshness and hope for a good day.

The fateful day of Wednesday, August 6, 2025. And just around midday, the nation stood still. Hit by the devastating and tragic news of the military helicopter crash G9 in the Adansi area of the Ashanti Region, which was on its way to Obuasi for a very important national program.

The launch of a program related to the ever-increasing threat of illegal mining, popularly called 'Galamsey' which has become a very catastrophic plague on us as a nation.

Threatening our very survival as a nation. A national canker which continues to defy all possible solutions.

The fatal accident, unfortunately, claimed the lives of all eight occupants on board, including two cabinet ministers, Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, Minister for Defence, and Dr. Murtala Muhammed, Minister for Environment and six others. Very tragic to say the least.

What makes the accident even more tragic is the fact that the nation was still mourning the death of the legendary music icon, Charles Kwadjo Fosu, popularly known as Daddy Lumba in the music circle and the students who lost their lives in a lorry accident also in the Ashanti Region.

For days since the news of the fatal helicopter crash, tributes have been pouring in from well-meaning Ghanaians, home and abroad, associations, political organisations, religious bodies and institutions in honour and memory of the departed fallen heroes.

The government has also received some foreign envoys who visited to commiserate with the government, the bereaved families and the people of Ghana. After all, what are friends for? For good times and for bad times.

Since the tragic event, a lot of speculations have been linked to the accident in the public space. From the spiritual to the political, from human error to systems failure. From superstitions to bad weather conditions, all in an attempt to explain the root cause of the accident.

Hopefully, with the discovery of the black box, all these speculations will be put to rest, and the real cause or causes of the fatal crash will be established when investigations are completed.

Another unfortunate aspect of the fatal accident was social media reportage of it with gory pictures and videos, throwing away all sensibilities of the profession to the dogs.

Though this was not the first time the nation has recorded such a tragic accident in the nation’s aviation history, and in particular reference to the Ghana Armed Forces, there is no doubt about the fact that this particular tragic accident of August 6 has taken a great toll on the nation, with a lot of grief and mourning looking at the numbers and the personalities involved in the crash.

This is not to suggest, however, that others were of less importance. It was an accident that has put aside political, religious or ethnic differences.

An accident that has shaped our collective unity as a nation to rise above the storms. It is heart-warming to note that even before the official state funeral and burial, a lot of memorable activities have been organised across the length and breadth of the country in honour of the departed fallen heroes.

Aptly described by the President as “gallant men” the memories of these departed fallen heroes on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, will forever remain in our history books.

The tragic accident has also brought to the fore and ignited the national debate in the public sphere concerning the fight against illegal mining in the country, which has become the greatest threat to our very survival as a country.

The pollution of our river bodies and the destruction of the ecological system, among others. The destruction of cocoa farms has a negative effect of reducing our export earnings from the cocoa sector.

There are those who are calling for the strict implementation of the laws on mining and those who hold the view that the time to declare a national state of emergency to fight the canker is now.

The fight should be a collective national effort with all on board if we are to achieve the desired results. Until this is done, the fight against illegal mining will just be a fruitless effort. A mirage.

All hands must therefore be on board in this noble cause to save Mother Ghana.