Accra: The Ministry of Defence is set to host its inaugural annual public lecture in honor of the late former Minister for Defence, Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. Dr. Omane Boamah tragically lost his life in a military helicopter crash in the Adansi area of the Ashanti Region on August 6, 2025. The crash claimed the lives of eight individuals, including the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, as well as other senior government officials and military personnel. Dr. Omane Boamah was widely respected, even by those in opposition, for his calm demeanor and dedication to democracy.
According to Ghana Web, Ato Ahwoi, a founding member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), shared how he persuaded the late Dr. Omane Boamah to join the NDC, despite his initial affiliation with the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Ato Ahwoi revealed that he was tasked by the late former President, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, to recruit all former presidents of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) for the NDC. It was during this recruitment effort that he managed to convince Dr. Omane Boamah to switch his allegiance from the NPP to the NDC, eventually becoming a key figure within the party.
The helicopter crash on August 6, 2025, involved a Ghana Armed Forces aircraft and resulted in the loss of several high-profile lives. The officials, who included Dr. Omane Boamah, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, former Central Regional Minister Samuel Sarpong, and Samuel Aboagye, a former parliamentary candidate, were en route to Obuasi for a program addressing illegal mining activities. The incident also claimed the lives of Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Malin Twum-Ampadu, and Sgt Ernest Addo Mensah, who were part of the helicopter crew.