Ghana’s Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed have been confirmed dead following a helicopter crash on Wednesday, the Ghanaian presidency announced.
The accident claimed the lives of all eight people on board — three crew members and five passengers — after the Ghanaian Armed Forces earlier reported the aircraft had gone off radar shortly after takeoff from Accra around 9:00 am. The helicopter was en route to the town of Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.
“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 Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff to President John Mahama.
Boamah, a medical doctor by profession, had recently taken over as Defence Minister following Mahama’s swearing-in in January. He previously served as Communications Minister from 2012 to 2017 and was formerly Deputy Minister for Environment.
At the time of his death, Boamah was overseeing Ghana’s defence strategy amid growing concerns of jihadist spillover from neighbouring Burkina Faso. Ghana had so far remained insulated from the extremist violence plaguing other coastal West African nations like Togo and Benin, but analysts had warned of increasing arms trafficking and militant movement across its northern borders.
Muhammed, on the other hand, was serving as Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, contributing to Ghana’s policies on sustainability and environmental security.
Also killed in the crash were Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Deputy National Security Coordinator and former Agriculture Minister, and Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) party.
Boamah had recently led a diplomatic mission to Burkina Faso, part of Ghana’s ongoing efforts to strengthen ties with the military juntas ruling Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger — countries that have recently distanced themselves from the ECOWAS regional bloc.
He had also been preparing to release a book titled “A Peaceful Man in an African Democracy,” a tribute to the late President John Atta Mills.
In response to the tragedy, all flags across Ghana are to be flown at half-staff, and President Mahama has suspended all official duties for the day in mourning.
