“Grave loss to nation”: Ghana’s Bishops Mourn Loss of 8 Senior Government, Military Officials in Helicopter Crash

Accra, 08 August, 2025 / 11:10 PM

Catholic Bishops in Ghana have expressed their spiritual closeness with families of eight senior government and military officials who died in a tragic helicopter crash on August 6 in the West African nation.

In a statement following the incident, the members of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC)  described the deaths of the Defense and Environment Ministers, along with the six others, in the helicopter crash at Adansi Sikaman in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region, as both “a blow to their families, loved ones” and “a grave loss to the nation.”

“It is with deep sorrow and profound Christian solidarity that we, the members of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, received the tragic news of the military helicopter crash,” they said in a statement on Wednesday, August 6, regarding the incident, which occurred while they were continuing with their August Plenary Assembly at the National Catholic Secretariat in Accra.

The Bishops extended their “heartfelt condolences” to the grieving families, the various institutions and communities where the eight “so faithfully served” and to all citizens of Ghana.

“We commend the departed souls to the mercy of the Eternal Father, praying that He who is the Resurrection and the Life may grant them peace, and console all who bear the weight of their absence,” they prayed, urging the country to remain united, strong, and hopeful “in this hour of collective grief.”

They emphasized the importance of “enduring service rooted in integrity, sacrifice, and the common good,” noting that it is in such moments that the people of God are “reminded of the fragile and fleeting nature of human life.”

The Wednesday, August 6 helicopter crash claimed the lives of Ghana’s Defense Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah; Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Alhaji Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed; Deputy National Security Coordinator, Alhaji Muniru Mohammed; Vice Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Samuel Sarpong; Mr. Samuel Aboagye; Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala; Flying Officer Twum Ampadu; and Sergeant Ernest Addo.

“These were men of proven dedication—public servants, politicians, technocrats, and gallant officers of the Ghana Armed Forces—who gave of themselves in service to the Republic, its institutions, and the people of this land,” the Catholic Church leaders said, referring to the eight individuals who were aboard the helicopter, which, according to a BBC report, had taken off from the capital, Accra, at 09:12 local time en route to Obuasi for an event on tackling illegal mining.

Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama, in a statement ACI Africa obtained on August 7, described the helicopter crash as a “national tragedy” and declared three days of national mourning beginning Thursday, August 8.

“There will be three days of national mourning starting tomorrow,” read the Wednesday, August 6 statement by the President’s Spokesperson and Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu.