National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has revealed that he was originally meant to be on the military helicopter that crashed in the Ashanti Region on Wednesday, August 6, killing eight people, including two cabinet ministers.
The crash, which occurred in the Adansi area, claimed the lives of Defence Minister Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah; Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed; NDC Vice Chairman Dr. Samuel Sarpong; and five others.
Speaking while consoling one of the bereaved families, Mr. Nketiah disclosed that a last-minute change in plans meant Dr. Sarpong took his place on the flight to Obuasi for the launch of the Responsible Co-operative Mining and Skills Development Programme (COMSDEP).
“Allah does what He wants. I was supposed to be on the flight, but at the last minute, I directed my vice chairman, Dr. Sarpong, to represent the party, and he accepted,” he recounted.
Reflecting on the tragedy, Mr. Nketiah urged families to take comfort in their faith, calling the incident a stark reminder of life’s uncertainty. “In your human ways, you may think that if I had not sent Sarpong, maybe he would still be alive. But who knows? If it was his time, God might have taken him in another way even through an accident in Accra. We cannot question Allah’s will. In all things, we give thanks to Him.”
He added that while the loss is devastating, “perhaps if this had not happened, something worse might have,” encouraging mourners to hold on to that perspective. He described Dr. Sarpong’s decision to stand in for him as a final act of selfless service to the party and the nation.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash. The eight victims were:
• Dr. Edward Omane Boamah – Minister for Defence
• Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed – Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation; MP for Tamale Central
• Alhaji Limuna Muniru Mohammed – Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator
• Dr. Samuel Sarpong – National Vice Chairman, NDC
• Samuel Aboagye – Former parliamentary candidate
• Sqn. Leader Peter Bafemi Anala
• Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu
• Sgt. Ernest Addo Mensah
A flower-laying ceremony, which began on Thursday, August 7, is part of a series of national mourning events ahead of the state burial scheduled for August 15, 2025. Commemorations continue today, Saturday, August 9.
