The Minister of Interior, Muntaka Mubarak, has revealed that the late Defence Minister Dr Omane Boamah never liked the idea of boarding a helicopter.
According to the interior minister, this was Omane Boamah’s first time boarding the helicopter since the NDC came into office.
He revealed that the late Omane Boamah used to caution him about using the helicopter.
Speaking on JOY FM Super Morning Show, Muntaka Mubarak revealed, “Dr. Omane Boamah never liked boarding a helicopter. Since we came 7 months ago, he has never boarded any of the Helis, and he hates it. He keeps warning me, I used it most often.
If you go and check the Ghana Armed Forces invoice, probably myself, Hon Haruna Iddrisu, Mahama Ayairga and a few others who have used the Helis”.
He further recounted, “The week before this incident, the weekend Saturday, something needed to be done urgently in Tamale and the President asked me to go and deal with it, so I called the Air Force commander, the Chief of Air Staff, that him should prepare the Heli for me to go to Tamale and back.
When I called him, he was like Muntaka, Why are you always using this Heli? I told you that this thing I am not comfortable with it”.
The interior minister added, “He was ready to board the Heli for the first time despite his reservations, and yet the first time he used it, he never returned.
Because of the affirmation he made to the president and the commitment he personally made to the president that he was going to fight galamsey with all the energy he was willing to board the Helicopter, and he lost his life”.
Dr Omane Boamah and Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed passed away following a helicopter crash at Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region on Wednesday, August 6.
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, Dr Tony Aidoo, a former Ambassador to the Netherlands, has told President John Dramani Mahama to kill the illegal mining menace commonly known as galamsey before it kills his cabinet.
According to Dr Tony Aidoo, President Mahama must not let the eight people who died in last Wednesday’s helicopter crash go in vain.
He emphasised that the best tribute to the eight fallen Ghanaian heroes is for John Mahama to end the galamsey menace once and for all.
Dr Aidoo noted that victims, including two cabinet ministers, lost their lives in the line of duty in an initiative to tackle galamsey.
Speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, August 9, Dr Tony Aidoo stated, “Why were they in the air? They were in the air because they were going to fight galamsey”.
“President Mahama must kill the galamsey menace before it ends his members [of cabinet].”
He added, “God gives, yes, but God does not take innocent lives. People die by their own destruction or by lifestyle. What is President Mahama waiting for? Yesterday, I heard Kwame Mpianim say we must ban galamsey for three months.
In fact, my first reaction after the Chief of Staff gave us the details and confirmed the death was to send the message directly to President Mahama, and I said these eight patriotic souls lost their lives in the fight against galamsey.
So for God’s sake, Mr President, don’t let them die in vain. Stop the galamsey now. That’s the best tribute we can say to these patriotic deaths.”
Dr Tony Aidoo further revealed his relationship with the late Dr Omane Boamah and Dr Sarpong, and Dr Murtala Mohammed.
He added, “To be frank, I had a personal connection with only three of the unfortunate victims of the helicopter crash — Dr Omane Boamah and Dr Sarpong and Dr Murtala Mohammed”.
“Anytime I remember the departed, it is usually with teary eyes, but I am not here to eulogise nor to pay another apologetic tribute. This will be a very tiny voice among the worldwide tributes following the avoidable national tragedy”.
Dr Tony Aidoo, added, “Even though faith says we must eulogise the dead, we must look behind and look for the cause — why did they die? People will say, ‘Oh, the Lord gave us and the Lord takes.’ I say that God did not take. It was we who gave by our mistake of an avoidable death.”
Listen to him below:
"Dr. Omane Boamah never liked boarding a helicopter and this was the first time in our 7 months of office he decided to board."
— Joy 99.7 FM (@Joy997FM) August 11, 2025
– Muntaka Mubarak #JoySMS pic.twitter.com/kBbbYZLl2G