I Was Scheduled To Be On Crashed Helicopter – Asiedu Nketiah

National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah has disclosed that he was originally scheduled to be on the military helicopter that crashed in the Ashanti Region on Wednesday, August 6, claiming eight lives, including two cabinet ministers.

The tragic incident, which occurred in the Adansi area, killed Defence Minister Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah; Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed; NDC Vice Chairman Dr. Samuel Sarpong; and five others.

According to Mr. Nketiah, a last-minute change of plans meant that Dr. Sarpong took his place on the trip to Obuasi for the launch of the Responsible Co-operative Mining and Skills Development Programme (COMSDEP).

Speaking while consoling one of the bereaved families, he said:

“Allah does what He wants. I was supposed to be on the flight, and at the last minute, I directed my vice chairman, Dr. Sarpong, to represent the party, and he accepted it.”

He urged grieving families to draw strength from their faith, calling the tragedy a reminder of life’s fragility. Reflecting on the loss of Dr. Sarpong and the other victims, he added:

“In your human ways, you may think that if I had not sent Sarpong, he would still be alive. But who knows? If it was his time, perhaps God would have taken him in a different way. We don’t question what Allah chooses to do. In all things, we give thanks.”

Mr. Nketiah stressed that while the pain is great, “if it didn’t happen this way, perhaps something even worse might have occurred,” encouraging mourners to take comfort in that thought.

He described Dr. Sarpong’s decision to stand in for him as a final act of selflessness in service to the NDC and the nation.

Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing.

The victims were:

Dr. Edward Omane Boamah – Minister for Defence
Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed – Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, and MP for Tamale Central
Alhaji Limuna Muniru Mohammed – Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator
Dr. Samuel Sarpong – NDC National Vice Chairman
Samuel Aboagye – Former parliamentary candidate
Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala – Pilot
Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu – Co-pilot
Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah – Crew member

A flower-laying ceremony, which began on Thursday, August 7, forms part of a series of national mourning events ahead of the state burial scheduled for August 15, 2025, with activities continuing on Saturday, August 9.

I was supposed to be on the helicopter; however, at the eleventh hour, I designated my Vice Chairman Dr. Sarpong-Chairman Asiedu Nketiah

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— Popo🇰🇼🇬🇭 (@Popony_J) August 8, 2025

Source: Citinews