Ghana is in a mourning mood following a tragic helicopter crash on Wednesday that claimed the lives of two cabinet ministers and six others.
The victims have been identified as Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed. The military helicopter, carrying three crew members and five passengers, went missing from radar shortly after departing from Accra at 9 a.m. local time. The aircraft was headed to the town of Obuasi.
Authorities later confirmed that all eight people onboard perished in the crash. The presidency, through Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, offered condolences, stating, “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.”
The Victims:
Edward Omane Boamah, a medical doctor by training, was appointed Defence Minister earlier this year. His tenure was marked by heightened regional security concerns due to growing jihadist threats in neighboring countries. He had recently led a diplomatic delegation to Burkina Faso to engage with military juntas in the Sahel region.
Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, the Environment Minister, was also overseeing portfolios related to science and technology.
Other prominent victims of the crash include Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, the Deputy National Security Coordinator and former Minister of Agriculture, and Samuel Sarpong, the Vice Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
In honor of the deceased, President John Mahama has suspended all official engagements and ordered national flags to be flown at half-staff.
