Ghana has been plunged into mourning following the deaths of Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment, Science and Technology, Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, who perished alongside six others in a military helicopter crash on Wednesday, 6 August, in the Ashanti Region.
The Z9 aircraft, which lost radar contact after departing Accra for Obuasi on a mission to address illegal mining, crashed under undisclosed circumstances. Among the dead were top government and military officials, including Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Deputy National Security Coordinator, and Samuel Sarpong, Vice-Chair of the governing National Democratic Congress. The Ghana Armed Forces confirmed all eight bodies have been recovered and transported to the capital for formal procedures, as investigations commence into the cause of the tragedy.
In a swift response, President John Dramani Mahama declared three days of national mourning and suspended all official engagements. Flags have been ordered to fly at half-mast across the country, with the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, describing the incident as a “national tragedy”. The loss has shaken the nation’s leadership and ignited widespread grief, especially on social media where images of the burnt aircraft circulated. Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu conveyed the President’s emotional state as “deeply down”, reflecting the shock that has rippled through the government and citizenry alike.
Both fallen ministers were deeply involved in critical national matters. Boamah, a former Communications and Environment minister, was known for his firm stance against the threat of jihadist infiltration from Burkina Faso, and his anticipated publication, A Peaceful Man in an African Democracy, was scheduled for release later this year.
Murtala Muhammed was leading efforts to combat illegal mining, or galamsey, which has ravaged Ghana’s water bodies and ecosystems. His advocacy had gained momentum during last year’s presidential race, making his death a particularly bitter blow in the nation’s ongoing environmental struggle.