President John Dramani Mahama has appointed two senior ministers to temporarily assume additional portfolios following the tragic deaths of the Ministers for Defence and Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation in a helicopter crash on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
In a statement from the Presidency, Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has been directed to take on the additional responsibility of Minister for Defence.
The new assignments come in the wake of the sudden demise of the substantive officeholders, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah and Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, who lost their lives alongside six others in a Ghana Air Force helicopter crash en route to an official function in Obuasi, Ashanti Region.
The nation is mourning the victims of the recent tragic military helicopter crash that claimed the lives of eight high-ranking government officials and military personnel.
The devastating incident in the Ashanti Region has plunged the country into deep grief, prompting tributes from public figures, politicians, and entertainers alike.
The crash, involving a Ghana Armed Forces helicopter reportedly on official duty, has drawn national attention and sparked calls for an investigation into the cause of the tragedy. While the government has pledged to conduct a full inquiry, the mood across the country remains sombre.
As the nation awaits official updates, tributes continue to pour in from various sectors of society, underscoring the magnitude of the loss and the shared sense of mourning.
The soldiers and civil servants on board are:
Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, Minister of Defence and Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, in a military helicopter crash at the Adansi Area in Ashanti Region.
Others who died in the unfortunate national tragedy were Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator and former Minister for Food and Agriculture, and Dr Samuel Sarpong, the Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and a former Ashanti Regional Minister.
The rest are Mr Samuel Aboagye, a former NDC Parliamentary Candidate for Obuasi East; Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Malin Twum-Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
