Ell-en Ama Daaku, Communications Officer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has criticized the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in connection with the recent military helicopter crash that claimed eight lives.
Speaking on Wontumi TV/FM, Ama Daaku alleged that the tragedy could have been avoided if the NDC, during its time in opposition, had not resisted government efforts to procure new aircraft for the Ghana Armed Forces.
She claimed that in 2023, then-President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s administration, through Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul, sought parliamentary approval to acquire new planes and helicopters to upgrade the military’s equipment. According to her, NDC MPs, particularly Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, strongly opposed the proposal, leading to delays in fleet renewal.
Ama Daaku, speaking partly in Twi, accused the NDC of engaging in what she called “political witchcraft,” which she linked to the eventual tragedy. “If they had allowed us to get the planes and helicopters at that time, perhaps we wouldn’t be here today,” she argued.
The fatal crash occurred on August 6, 2025, when a Ghana Air Force Harbin Z-9 military helicopter went down in a forested mountainside in the Adansi Akrofuom District, Ashanti Region. The aircraft was traveling from Kotoka International Airport in Accra to Obuasi for an event focused on combating illegal mining.
All eight on board died, including:
- Edward Omane Boamah – Minister of Defence
- Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed – Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation
- Alhaji Muniru Mohammed Limuna – Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator
- Samuel Sarpong – Vice Chairman of the NDC
- Samuel Aboagye – former parliamentary candidate
- Three crew members: Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah
The wreckage was discovered burned, with all victims’ bodies charred beyond recognition, necessitating DNA tests for identification.
The Ghana Armed Forces has launched an investigation into the incident, though the exact cause of the crash remains unknown. Speculation over contributing factors continues to circulate.
