Wreckage of the ill-fated chopper
The late defence minister, Edward Boamah.
By Kwesi Acheampong
Ghana’s Defence Minister, Edward Boamah and Minister of Environment Ibrahim Mohammed, have died in a plane crash involving a military helicopter.
Julius Debrah, Ghana’s President’s Chief of Staff, confirmed the tragedy in a statement released on Wednesday.
He disclosed that eight senior government officials and military personnel perished in the crash which occurred in the southern Ashanti region on Wednesday.
The ill-fated military helicopter was reportedly en route from the capital, Accra, to the mining town of Obuasi when it crashed under yet-to-be-determined circumstances.
Apart from the two ministers, others confirmed dead are Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator; Dr Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Also dead are Mr Samuel Aboagye, former parliamentary candidate; Squadron Leader Peter (full name withheld); and Sergeant Ernest Addo.
Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, the late Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.
Meanwhile, President Nana Akufo-Addo has declared a period of national mourning, with flags ordered to be flown at half-mast across the country until further notice.
Further investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing, as the nation reels from what is one of the most significant losses of senior officials in recent Ghanaian history.
