The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, extended his condolences to President John Mahama following a military helicopter crash in southern Ghana that killed two cabinet ministers and six others on a national mission to the gold-mining town of Obuasi.
The crash occurred on Wednesday, August 8, near the town of Adansi Brofoyeduru. Among the deceased were Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Ghana’s Minister of Defense, and Alhaji Mutala Mohammed, Minister of Environment. Also killed was Alhaji Muniru Limuna, a Deputy National Security Coordinator, along with five others whose names have not yet been officially released.
The delegation had been en route from the capital, Accra, to Obuasi when the helicopter went down under still-unclear circumstances. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
Speaking from the Manhyia Palace after being formally briefed by the Adansehene, Opagyakotwere Bonsrah Afriyie II, the Asantehene described the tragedy as a “national concern” and expressed solidarity with the bereaved families and the administration.
“I sympathize with the President in this difficult moment,” Otumfuo Osei Tutu II said. “The loss is not only that of the families but of the entire nation. These individuals died in service to Ghana.”
The Environment Minister and the Deputy National Security Coordinator have since been laid to rest in accordance with Islamic tradition.
The Asantehene called for national unity and support for the government in the wake of the tragedy, emphasizing the need for compassion and collective resilience as the country mourns its loss.
