Deputy Director of A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bosu, says the recent military helicopter crash that claimed eight lives must mark a decisive shift in Ghana’s battle against environmental crimes.
Mr Bosu described the tragedy, which occurred on Wednesday and took the lives of two cabinet ministers, as deeply symbolic. The crash happened on the very day the government was set to launch a major initiative to tackle what he called “environmental terrorism.”
“We were all anticipating that these people were going to join us, and we would have had a very great programme. We were interested in the launch because we needed to really deal with the menace of this environmental crime around us,” he said.
He stressed that the government’s programme was a critical step in holding authorities accountable for ending environmental destruction. “Any programme that was going to help us do that, we were going to be there to listen and ensure the government remains accountable and responsible for everything they have promised. We were really looking forward to this,” he added.
For Mr Bosu, the coincidence of such a tragedy with the launch of the anti-environmental crime initiative gives the fight a new level of urgency. “This was a serious sacrifice. Eight people had to give their lives on the very day we were taking a stand against environmental terrorism. There’s no way we can sit down and ignore this sacrifice,” he emphasised.
He called on both government and citizens to treat the moment as a wake-up call. “Nothing should be the same ever again. We need to do things differently and deal with this menace once and for all,” he declared.
