They answered the call to serve God and country - Mahama honours helicopter crash victims

President John Dramani Mahama paid tribute to the eight state officials who died in the August 6, 2025 helicopter crash, stating they embarked on the trip with the intention of serving the nation, unaware it would be their final journey. He said, "They came from diverse backgrounds, diverse professions; they had different dreams, different personalities and different stories, and yet they were united by one common purpose: they answered the call to serve God and country. None of them boarded that helicopter expecting it would be their final journey."

The tribute was made at a national interfaith memorial service held in Accra on Thursday to mark one year since the tragedy. The August 6, 2025 crash involved a Ghana Armed Forces Z-9 helicopter that went down in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region while the team was travelling on official duty connected to efforts to address illegal mining. The victims included Defence Minister Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah; Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed; Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Muniru Mohammed; former Ashanti Regional Minister Dr Samuel Sarpong; former NDC parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye; and three Ghana Air Force personnel - Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying...