President of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology branch of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG-KNUST), Prof Eric Abavare, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to immediately impose a temporary ban on mining in galamsey-affected areas, following the death of a member of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS).

The officer was confirmed dead after the team’s vehicle was involved in a fatal accident on the night of Wednesday, November 19, 2025, leaving four other military officers in critical condition.

The crash occurred while the team was returning from an operation at a concession in Anyankyerim — an area reportedly taken over by illegal miners.

Reacting to the tragedy in a Facebook post on Thursday, November 20, 2025, Prof Abavare questioned why precious lives continued to be lost in the fight against illegal mining while the state struggled to curb the menace.

“Someone’s son, brother, uncle, father… A breadwinner has been lost again while Ghanaians are still reeling from the pangs of the demise of Major Maxwell Mahama and the eight officials. This comes in again because of a few greedy, selfish nation-wreckers, and yet we helplessly look on,” he wrote.

He criticised what he described as the president’s inaction toward enforcing a temporary ban in mining activities, stressing that frontline officers should not be made to pay the ultimate price for the nation’s failure to tackle illegal mining decisively.

“Mr President, this can’t go on. I wish to remind you again — and I hope it is not your intention to sacrifice our men by your inertia to call a temporary ban in those galamsey-affected areas,” he stated.