Former Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has described as a “national tragedy”, the passing of the eight lives during the military helicopter crash around Akrofuom on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
Dr. Bawumia says the incident that killed the senior government officials and personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces is a painful loss to the entire nation, and not just the families or the deceased.
The 2024 flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), in a wreath-laying ceremony for the victims at the forecourt of the Jubilee House Friday, August 8, 2025, indicated that the loss goes beyond political lines, stressing the need for a unified national mourning, adding that the New Patriotic Party will fully participate in all activities.
He noted that he had already visited some families of the victims, and will continue on Saturday.
“This is a national tragedy. This morning I visited three of the deceased families, and I will continue that exercise tomorrow, Saturday, August 9. This is personal to all Ghanaians, and I want to extend my condolences to the government, H.E President John Dramani Mahama, families, Ghana Armed Forces, who have lost gallant soldiers.
“It’s a very painful loss. Ghana has lost a tremendous amount from this particular tragedy. This is why I’m here to lay a wreath to express my condolences. This is not a partisan issue; it is a national tragedy, and you should expect full participation because it is our national duty to fully participate,” he said.
In his company were some bigwigs of the New Patriotic Party.
The wreath-laying ceremony is part of a series of national mourning activities ahead of the state burial scheduled for August 15, 2025.
The crash occurred in a densely forested part of the Adansi Akrofuom district in the Ashanti region where all eight occupants of the military aircraft were killed.
They included Ghana’s Minister of Defence, Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah; Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed; Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, Muniru Mohammed; former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye; and NDC Vice Chairman, Samuel Sarpong.
The flight crew—Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah—also died in the crash.
The helicopter was en route to Obuasi for an official anti-illegal mining assignment when it reportedly went off radar and crashed with no survivors.
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