Ghana’s leading religious bodies have joined a growing national chorus of grief following Wednesday’s military helicopter crash that killed eight, including two cabinet ministers and senior security officials.
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) and the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) both issued statements expressing condolences to the victims’ families, the government, and the broader Ghanaian public. The leaders also called for collective prayer as the country begins three days of national mourning.
“This is a tragedy of profound proportions,” said Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, President of the GCBC, in an interview with Citi News. “We are deeply shocked by this loss. As soon as the news reached us, we gathered in prayer and entrusted the souls of the departed into the hands of their Maker.”
The GCBC conveyed its sympathies to President John Dramani Mahama, Parliament, and the families of the deceased, urging all Ghanaians to pray for those affected. “To lose such bright and dedicated public servants at once is a national blow,” Archbishop Gyamfi said.
The GPCC echoed that sentiment in a separate statement, offering condolences to the bereaved families and national leadership. “We stand in prayer with the President and all Ghanaians at this painful moment,” the Council said.
The victims of the crash include Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Minister for Defence; Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation; and Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator. Also among the dead are Dr. Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC); Samuel Aboagye, a former parliamentary candidate; and three members of the Ghana Air Force—Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flight Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
President Mahama has declared a nationwide three-day mourning period, ordering flags to fly at half-staff in honor of the fallen. The government has pledged a full investigation into the cause of the crash, which occurred in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region while the aircraft was en route to Obuasi.
The Ghana National Fire Service and other security agencies continue to investigate the incident. Preliminary information suggests the helicopter—identified as a Ghana Armed Forces Z-9—went off radar shortly before the crash.
The tragedy has drawn widespread public attention and sparked reflection on the risks faced by public servants and military personnel. Religious leaders say the moment calls not only for grief, but for unity and prayer.
“This is a time to come together as one nation,” Archbishop Gyamfi said. “In sorrow, we find our shared humanity.”
