ACCRA: Ghana’s defence and environment ministers were killed in a military helicopter crash on Wednesday. The air force chopper, carrying three crew and five passengers, crashed in a forested area in the south.
Television station Joy News aired footage showing smouldering wreckage at the crash site. Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed were among the dead.
Boamah was appointed defence minister shortly after President John Mahama’s swearing-in in January. Muhammed, 50, was serving as minister of environment, science, and technology.
Muhammed had been scheduled to attend UN talks in Geneva on a global plastic pollution treaty. The helicopter was en route to an event on illegal mining, a major environmental issue in Ghana.
All on board died in the crash in the Ashanti region. President Mahama’s chief of staff Julius Debrah extended condolences to the families of the deceased.
The Ghanaian Armed Forces launched an investigation into the crash of the Z9 helicopter. The military reported the helicopter lost contact after takeoff from Accra.
Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Muniru Mohammed and NDC vice chairman Samuel Sarpong were also killed. Boamah had been addressing rising jihadist threats near Ghana’s northern border.
Ghana faces risks from arms trafficking and militant movements from Burkina Faso. Boamah previously served as communications minister under Mahama’s earlier administration.
Muhammed led efforts against illegal gold mining, which has damaged farmlands and water sources. The practice, known as “galamsey,“ threatens cocoa production.
The government recently established the Ghana Gold Board to curb illegal mining. Muhammed was a respected environmentalist, praised by UNEP chief Inger Andersen.
Boamah had recently engaged in diplomatic talks with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. He was set to release a book on former president John Atta Mills.
President Mahama declared three days of national mourning starting Thursday. Flags will fly at half-mast as investigations into the crash continue. – AFP
