AFRICA/GHANA - Two ministers die in helicopter crash: Bishops express condolences and ask for prayers

Accra (Agenzia Fides) - "Shocking news that we could not believe," said Msgr. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Bishop of Sunyani, President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Ghana (GCBC), in response to the news of the helicopter crash that killed Minister of Defense Edward Omane Boamah, Minister of Environment Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, and six other people who were in the helicopter that crashed yesterday, August 6, in the Ashanti region.
Msgr. Gyamfi learned of the plane crash while in Accra for the Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Secretariat.
The Bishops' Conference issued a statement a few hours later expressing its condolences to the President, the families of the victims, Parliament, and the nation. "We ask all Ghanaians to pray for them. It is a shock to lose such brilliant minds all at once," the statement read.
The Bishops emphasized that those who lost their lives in the incident "were men of proven commitment—servants of the state, politicians, technocrats, and gallant officers of the Ghana Armed Forces—who gave their lives in the service of the Republic, the institutions, and the people of this country. Their sudden and untimely passing is not only a blow to their families and friends, but also a great loss for the nation."
"In moments like these," the message sent to Fides continues, "we are reminded of the fragile and transitory nature of human life and of the enduring value of service rooted in moral integrity, self-sacrifice, and the pursuit of the common good."
The helicopter, a Chinese-made Z9, crashed in the Ashanti region after disappearing from radar shortly after taking off from Accra at around 9 a.m. local time bound for Obuasi, northwest of the capital. Local authorities have opened an investigation into the cause of the crash.
Ghana's President, John Dramani Mahama, declared three days of national mourning. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 7/8/2025)

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