By Deborah Nnamdi
Ghana is mourning the loss of two senior government officials after a military helicopter crashed on Wednesday, killing all eight people on board, including Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.
The aircraft, which took off from Accra around 9:00 a.m., lost contact with air traffic control en route to Obuasi, a town northwest of the capital. The Ghana Armed Forces confirmed that the helicopter was carrying three crew members and five passengers at the time of the incident.
In a statement from the presidency, Chief of Staff Julius Debrah conveyed condolences on behalf of President John Mahama and the government. “The president and government extend our condolences and sympathies to the families of our comrades and the servicemen who died in service to the country,” he said.
Also among the deceased were Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Ghana’s Deputy National Security Coordinator and former Agriculture Minister, and Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Minister Boamah, a medical doctor by profession, was appointed Defence Minister earlier this year and previously served as Communications Minister and Deputy Environment Minister. His tenure coincided with rising security concerns due to growing jihadist activity across the border in Burkina Faso. He had recently led a delegation to Ouagadougou as part of Ghana’s regional diplomatic outreach.
The late Environment Minister, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, was overseeing critical sectors including science and technology.
In light of the tragedy, President Mahama has suspended all official engagements. Flags across the nation will fly at half-mast in honor of the victims. Boamah was also preparing to launch a book titled A Peaceful Man in an African Democracy, a tribute to former President John Atta Mills.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
