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By Philip Nwosu and Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Mourning has draped Ghana following the tragic death of two cabinet ministers and other top officials in a helicopter crash.
The Presidency in Ghana confirmed that the Minister of Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah and the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, were killed when a military helicopter crashed en route from Accra to Obuasi.
The Ghana Armed Forces had earlier reported that the aircraft, carrying three crew members and five passengers, went off radar shortly after take-off at around 9am. The crash claimed the lives of everyone on board.
Also among the dead were Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Ghana’s Deputy National Security Coordinator and former Minister of Agriculture, and Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
President John Mahama, who appointed both Boamah and Muhammed to their posts earlier this year, cancelled all official duties for the day and ordered national flags to be flown at half-mast in honour of the deceased.
“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,” said Chief of Staff Julius Debrah in a statement.
• Tinubu condoles with Mahama, country
President Bola Tinubu has condoled with President Mahama, the government, and people of Ghana.
In a statement released by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu urged the Ghanaian nation and the bereaved families to find solace in the sacrifice made by the deceased, emphasising that they “died in the line of patriotic service to the country.”
He concluded his statement with a prayer for “the peaceful repose of the souls of the departed and strength for those left behind.”
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, a medical doctor and seasoned politician, previously served as Minister of Communications during Mahama’s first administration between 2012 and 2017. He also held the role of Deputy Minister for Environment in earlier years. As Defence Minister, he was leading Ghana’s security response amid increasing jihadist activity along the country’s northern borders with Burkina Faso.
Boamah had recently led a diplomatic mission to Ouagadougou in May, as Ghana sought to strengthen relations with neighbouring Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger — all of which are currently under military rule and have strained ties with ECOWAS, the West African regional bloc.
He was also preparing to publish a biography of the late President John Atta Mills titled “A Peaceful Man in an African Democracy.”
Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed was overseeing policy initiatives on climate action, science, and environmental protection. His ministry had been pushing new reforms aimed at sustainable development and renewable energy advancement.
The sudden deaths of both ministers have shocked the nation and triggered an outpouring of grief across Ghana and the wider West African region.
At the time of reporting, the military had launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. The identities of the military crew members are yet to be publicly disclosed.
The incident marks one of the worst losses of high-ranking government officials in Ghana’s recent history and comes at a critical time when the Mahama administration is building new policy momentum after taking office in January 2025.
The Presidency is expected to announce a national day of mourning and details of a state funeral in the coming days.
