The Deputy Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), Fuseini Donkor, has revealed how Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, narrowly avoided boarding the Ghana Armed Forces helicopter that tragically crashed near Sikaman in the Ashanti Region on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
The accident claimed the lives of eight individuals, including senior government officials and military personnel. Among the deceased were Minister for Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah; Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Alhaji Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed; Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, Alhaji Muniru Mohammed; former NDC parliamentary candidate, Samuel Aboagye; and NDC Vice Chairman and former Kumasi Mayor, Dr. Samuel Sarpong.
The Ghana Armed Forces identified the fallen crew members as Squadron Leader Peter Baafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manaen Twum Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
Speaking on TV3’s New Day on Thursday, August 7, Mr. Donkor disclosed that Minister Muntaka was initially scheduled to be the fifth passenger aboard the ill-fated flight, alongside Defence Minister Dr. Omane Boamah. However, an urgent intervention by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson changed the course of events.
“But for our Finance Minister, Muntaka would have been on the helicopter,” Mr. Donkor revealed. “He was the fifth person on board with Dr. Omane Boamah, but Ato dragged him out, saying, ‘No, you can’t go because we have a meeting with immigration officials, and I need you there.’”
Following the change, Minister Murtala Mohammed took Muntaka’s place on the flight.
Mr. Donkor also noted that Sammy Gyamfi, CEO of GoldBod, was originally scheduled to be part of the delegation, but the helicopter’s limited seating capacity restricted the number of passengers to five, excluding him from the final list.
The victims were en route to Obuasi for a national assignment when the aircraft went down in a forested area, marking one of the most devastating aviation tragedies in Ghana’s recent history.
The list of victims confirmed by the Office of the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, includes:
• Dr. Edward Omane Boamah – Minister for Defence
• Alhaji Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed – Minister for Environment
• Alhaji Muniru Mohammed – Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator
• Dr. Samuel Sarpong – Vice Chairman, NDC
• Mr. Samuel Aboagye – Former Parliamentary Candidate
• Squadron Leader Peter Baafemi Anala
• Flying Officer Manaen Twum Ampadu
• Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah
In response, the Chief of Staff announced that all national flags are to be flown at half-mast in honour of the deceased, while a formal investigation into the crash has been launched.
