National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has disclosed that he was originally slated to be aboard the Ghana Air Force 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 National Vice Chairman Dr. Samuel Sarpong; and five others.
Mr. Nketiah revealed that a last-minute change of plans meant Dr. Sarpong took his place on the trip 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, and at the last minute, I directed my vice chairman, Dr. Sarpong, to go and stand in for the party, and he accepted it,” he said while consoling one of the bereaved families.
Reflecting on the tragedy, the NDC Chairman urged families to take solace in faith, stressing that life’s unpredictability makes it unwise to question fate. “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,” he noted.
Mr. Nketiah described Dr. Sarpong’s death as a great loss to the NDC, calling his decision to step in for him “a final act of selfless service to the party and the nation.”
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash.
The victims of the crash 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 – NDC National Vice Chairman
Samuel Aboagye – Former parliamentary candidate
Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala
Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu
Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah
A flower-laying ceremony, which began on Thursday, August 7, is part of a national mourning programme leading to the state burial scheduled for August 15, 2025. Memorial activities continue on Saturday, August 9.
