A solemn candlelight and flower-laying ceremony was held on the afternoon of Thursday, August 7, 2025, in memory of the eight distinguished Ghanaians who perished in the tragic military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region.
The emotional ceremony drew hundreds of mourners and dignitaries, who gathered at the Presidency in silence and reverence to honour the fallen — including Minister for Defence Dr. Edward Omane Boamah and Minister for Environment, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed — whose sudden deaths have plunged the nation into mourning.
Among the prominent figures who laid flowers were President John Dramani Mahama, Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, NDC National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, and General Secretary Fifi Kwetey and personnel from the Ghana Air Force. Also present were the Governor of the Bank of Ghana and several government officials, who paid their respects with visible grief etched on their faces.
The ceremony was marked by moments of silence, prayer, and reflection, as attendees struggled to come to terms with the loss of some of Ghana’s most dedicated public servants and military officers.
The flower-laying ceremony formed part of a series of national mourning activities declared by President John Dramani Mahama, who suspended all official engagements for the week and ordered flags flown at half-mast.
All eight victims — including, the two Cabinet Ministers, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, Muniru Mohammed, NDC Vice Chairman, Dr. Samuel Sarpong, a former Parliamentary Candidate, Samuel Aboagye, and three Ghana Air Force crew members — were en route to Obuasi for an official assignment when their Z-9 military helicopter crashed after going off radar.
Investigations into the cause of the incident are ongoing.
