Ernest Henry Norgbey, the Member of Parliament for Ashaiman and a member of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, has said the three helicopters recently bought for the police are 1976-made.
According to Ernest Henry Norgbey, the three helicopters are flying coffins and cannot be used after they have been grounded since their delivery.
It will be recalled that in 2022, the Akufo-Addo Bawumia government approved the procurement of a helicopter for the Ghana Police Service, $2 million was budgeted for the project, with the Vice President Dr Bawumia in charge of the procurement process.
Speaking on Joy FM, Ernest Henry Norgbey stated, “The 1976 helicopters that were delivered, as we speak now, they cannot be used because they were not fit for purpose. A 1976 aircraft that is a flying coffin”.
In addition, Lawyer Twum Barima, a member of the NDC legal team, some months ago accused the former vice president of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, of allegedly procuring Helicopters made in 1974 for the Ghana Police Service.
According to him, Dr Bawumia, who was then the Police Council chairperson, got the courage to buy archaic Helicopters for the Ghana Police Service.
He claimed that Dr Bawumia procured three Helicopters for the Ghana Police Service, two made in 1974 and one made in 2005.
Speaking on Lawson TV, Lawyer Twum Barima revealed, “Nana Addo and the Bawumia government, when Dr Bawumia was the Police council chairperson. When they were going to buy Helicopters for the Ghana Police, they got the courage to buy archaic Helicopters and very old helicopters for them to use.
I will give you more details later, but for now, let me give you just the year. The expected life cycle of a Helicopter is 20 years, so if you are going to buy a helicopter in 2022, when you could get 2021, or you can even get a helicopter made in 2022”, he added.
Lawyer Twum Barima further detailed, “Even you can order from a particular company that you want new Helicopters, so they should make some for you, and they can do new ones for you. They were bold enough to go and buy Helicopters manufactured in 1974, and in the year 2005, two were 1974 range and one was from 2005”.
Ernest Henry Norgbey’s comments follow the tragic helicopter crash at Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region on Wednesday, August 6, which claimed the lives of eight Ghanaians, including Dr Omane Boamah and Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, two cabinet members.
The helicopter was carrying eight individuals, including three crew members and five passengers, among them the ministers, a presidential staffer identified as Samuel Sarpong, and the ministers’ security detail.
Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, and Samuel Aboagye, a former Parliamentary Candidate, and Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of NDC, have all been confirmed dead.
The crew members are Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
Meanwhile, Franklin Cudjoe, the President of IMANI Africa, has said the whole country is mourning, but Ghanaians must also demand answers.
According to Franklin Cudjoe, no serious addition of helicopters and maintenance has been done for the last eight years.
He further questioned the state of Ghana’s Armed Forces as alarmingly terrible
In a social media post on X, Franklin Cudjoe wrote, “We are mourning, but we must demand answers! I am in touch with the highest echelons of power and the truth, my dear brothers and sisters, is that the state of Ghana’s Armed Forces was and is still alarmingly terrible.
He added, “No serious additions and maintenance in the last 8 years. My brother, Omane Boamah, consistently raised these issues at almost every Armed Forces Security Council meeting”.
Franklin Cudjoe recounted what a top Military liaison once told him that Ghana would want even if Togo were to attack the country.
“One top Military liaison” if even Togo were to attack us, we would be wanting”. And yet, we had $58m to mess around with some crap edifice. More details later! Not all mourners are genuine! I am very, very angry. You should be”, he added.
See the post below:
3 helicopters recently bought for police are 1976 made and a flying coffin – Ernest Norgbey#JoyNews pic.twitter.com/6ZUTxdD2l7
— Joy 99.7 FM (@Joy997FM) August 11, 2025