DUBLIN,Ireland Aug 6-Ghana is in mourning after a military helicopter crash claimed the lives of two senior government ministers and six others in the Ashanti region on Wednesday. Authorities have described the incident as a national tragedy.
Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed were among the five passengers aboard the Ghana Armed Forces Z9 helicopter that lost contact shortly after taking off from the capital, Accra, at 9:12 am local time.
The aircraft was en route to Obuasi, where the ministers were scheduled to attend an event targeting illegal mining.
The helicopter reportedly went “off radar,” and images believed to show the charred wreckage began circulating on social media hours later. Officials have not yet confirmed the cause of the crash.
President John Dramani Mahama’s Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, confirmed the fatalities in a televised statement and ordered national flags to fly at half-mast in honour of the deceased.
“On behalf of the president and the government, we extend our deepest condolences to the families of the servicemen and public officials who died in service to the nation,” Debrah said, calling the crash a “national tragedy.”
Among the other victims were Ghana’s Deputy National Security Coordinator and former Agriculture Minister Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Vice-Chairman Samuel Sarpong, and former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye.
The three crew members who died were Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Malin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
President Mahama was said to be “deeply shaken” by the incident, according to Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu.
A Legacy of Public Service
Boamah, 53, previously served as communications minister and environment minister under Mahama’s administration. As defence minister, he led efforts to strengthen border security amid rising jihadist activity spilling over from neighbouring Burkina Faso.
In 2022, the France-based NGO Promediation reported that extremist groups had recruited as many as 300 young Ghanaians, raising alarm over growing regional instability.
Boamah was also a scholar and author. His book, A Peaceful Man in an African Democracy, a biography of the late President John Atta Mills, was scheduled for release later this year.
Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, 50, was a key figure in the fight against illegal gold mining locally known as galamsey which has severely damaged Ghana’s rivers and forests. He was a vocal advocate for sustainable development and had pushed for tougher enforcement against polluters.
Protests over environmental degradation peaked last year during Mahama’s presidential campaign, placing Muhammed at the centre of a heated national debate.
The Ghana Armed Forces have not released a preliminary report on what led to the crash. Investigations are expected to begin immediately, with aviation and military authorities leading the probe.
