NPP Calls for Accountability One Year After Helicopter Tragedy, Urges Government to Account for Anti-Galamsey Fight

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has paid tribute to the eight victims of the August 6, 2025 military helicopter crash while urging the government to use the first anniversary of the tragedy to provide Ghanaians with a full account of the country’s fight against illegal mining and the official investigation into the fatal crash.

In a statement issued on August 5, 2026, and signed by General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong, the opposition party described the anniversary as a solemn moment of remembrance but stressed that honouring the deceased must go beyond memorial ceremonies to include accountability and measurable progress in the national mission they died serving.

NPP Remembers the Departed Eight

The party recalled that on August 6, 2025, Ghana suffered one of the most painful tragedies in its recent history when a military helicopter travelling to Obuasi crashed in the Adansi area of the Ashanti Region, killing all eight occupants on board.

The victims included:

• Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Minister for Defence;
• Alhaji Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology;
• Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator;
• Dr. Samuel Sarpong;
• Mr. Samuel Aboagye; and
• Three Ghana Armed Forces personnel who piloted and crewed the aircraft.

The NPP noted that the nation had spent the week commemorating the victims through activities including the Memorial Lecture held on August 4, the National Memorial Service, the unveiling of a cenotaph, and a nationwide blood donation exercise.

According to the statement, the party joins the government, the Ghana Armed Forces, the bereaved families and all Ghanaians in honouring the memory of the departed.

“Grief Has No Party Colours”

The NPP stated that although many of those who died were senior members of the governing party, their deaths represented a national loss rather than a partisan one.

It said the grief of the bereaved families is shared by the entire Republic and commended all Ghanaians participating in the memorial activities, particularly the nationwide blood donation exercise, describing it as “a fitting and life-giving tribute.”

They Died While Serving the Nation

The statement emphasized that the victims were not on a routine journey but were travelling to Obuasi in pursuit of a national assignment focused on combating illegal mining (galamsey) and protecting Ghana’s lands and water bodies.

“They did not die at rest. They died at work, in pursuit of a cause the whole nation has declared urgent,” the party stated.

The NPP argued that while remembrance ceremonies are important, they should not replace tangible results in the fight against illegal mining.

According to the party, “the truest tribute to the departed is not a wreath or a lecture. It is results in the cause for which they gave their lives.”

Government Asked to Account for Progress

The opposition party called on the government to use the anniversary week to answer what it described as the questions the departed themselves would have asked.

Among the issues it wants addressed are:

• The current condition of Ghana’s rivers and water bodies compared to a year ago.
• The number of forest reserves that remain under assault from illegal mining.
• The number of degraded forest reserves that have been reclaimed.
• The measurable gains made in the fight against galamsey since the tragedy.

The party maintained that one year after the crash, the government owes the nation a comprehensive account of progress made in the anti-galamsey campaign.

Calls for Update on Helicopter Crash Investigation

Beyond the fight against illegal mining, the NPP also demanded a full update on the official investigation into the helicopter crash.

The party said Ghanaians deserve to know:

• The findings of the investigation.
• The safety recommendations that emerged from it.
• The measures implemented to protect public officials and security personnel travelling on official national assignments.

It said these steps are necessary to ensure that no other family experiences a similar tragedy.

“Remembrance Is a Duty”

The NPP concluded by stating that remembrance should not end with ceremonies but should inspire continued demands for accountability.

The party pledged to continue raising questions about both the anti-galamsey mission and the accountability surrounding the helicopter crash before Parliament and the Ghanaian people until satisfactory answers are provided.

It ended the statement by praying for the souls of the departed to rest in perfect peace, asking that their families find comfort, and expressing hope that Ghana would prove worthy of their sacrifice.

The statement was signed by Justin Kodua Frimpong, General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party.