President John Dramani Mahama is reportedly deeply shaken and emotionally overwhelmed following the tragic military helicopter crash that took the lives of eight high-ranking officials and service members on Wednesday, August 6, in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region.
According to Minister for Education Haruna Iddrisu, who spoke to journalists shortly after the tragedy, the President is experiencing one of the most emotionally painful moments of his tenure.
“They were en route to launch a vital cooperative mining initiative. The President is emotionally down and devastated. We can only pray that God gives him, and the Ghanaian people, the strength to endure this national tragedy,” Iddrisu said.
Among the victims were:
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Minister for Defence
Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.
Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator
Dr. Samuel Sarpong, Presidential Staffer and NDC Vice Chairman
Mr. Samuel Aboagye, former Parliamentary Candidate for Obuasi East
Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala
Flying Officer Mane-Twum Ampadu
Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah
Initial investigations suggest the Ghana Armed Forces Z-9 helicopter they were traveling in went off radar during its flight to Obuasi. Emergency teams later confirmed that all eight onboard had perished. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
In response, Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has mobilized a high-level government delegation to visit the families of the deceased. Led by Chief of Staff Julius Debrah and accompanied by senior military officials, the delegation aims to convey the nation’s deepest condolences.
“This is a very difficult time for all of us,” said Iddrisu. “We mourn as one people. These were selfless patriots who died in service to Ghana.”
In a mark of national mourning, President Mahama has ordered that all national flags fly at half-mast until further notice.
As the nation grapples with the magnitude of this loss, messages of unity, support, and resilience continue to pour in from across the political spectrum and beyond.
