Tinubu offers condolences to Ghana following helicopter crash that kills two ministers and six others
Tinubu offers condolences to Ghana following helicopter crash that kills two ministers and six others
President Bola Tinubu has conveyed his condolences to President John Mahama, as well as the government and people of Ghana, following a tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Ghana’s Defence Minister Edward Boamah, Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, and six others.
The Ghanaian Presidency announced the incident shortly after the armed forces reported that a helicopter carrying three crew members and five passengers had lost contact.
Among the other victims were Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Ghana’s Deputy National Security Coordinator and former Agriculture Minister, along with Samuel Sarpong, the Vice Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday and signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu prayed for the peaceful rest of the departed and strength for their families and loved ones.
The statement said, “President Tinubu assures President Mahama and all Ghanaians that the thoughts and prayers of the government and people of Nigeria are with them during this time of profound national loss.
“The President urges the Ghanaian nation and the bereaved families and friends to find comfort in the knowledge that their loved ones died in the line of patriotic service to the country.
“He prays for the peaceful repose of the souls of the departed and strength for those left behind.”
The crash threw Ghana into mourning as the eight passengers of the ill-fated helicopter, including three crew members, died in the crash.
The Ghanaian Armed Forces earlier reported that the air force helicopter went missing from radar shortly after taking off from Accra at around 9:00 am. The aircraft was en route to the town of Obuasi, northwest of the capital, AFP reported.
“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 President John Mahama’s Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah.
Boamah had been appointed defence minister earlier this year following Mahama’s swearing-in in January.
A medical doctor by training, Boamah previously served as communications minister during Mahama’s 2012–2017 administration, and earlier as deputy minister for environment.
Boamah’s leadership came at a time of growing regional insecurity, particularly from jihadist threats spilling over from Burkina Faso.
AFP reports that although Ghana has thus far avoided the violent insurgencies plaguing its neighbours, analysts have raised concerns about arms trafficking and militant incursions across the porous northern border.
Muhammed had been serving as the Minister of Environment, Science, and Technology. The Presidency also highlighted that Boamah recently led a delegation to Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, in May, as part of Ghana’s efforts to strengthen diplomatic relations with Sahel countries under military rule.
Boamah was preparing to publish a book titled “A Peaceful Man in an African Democracy,” which pays tribute to the late former President John Atta Mills, who passed away while in office in 2012.
Following the crash, President Mahama canceled all his official engagements and ordered that national flags be flown at half-mast in honor of the victims.
