Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has appointed acting ministers to the portfolios of Defence, and Environment, Science and Technology, following the tragic death of the substantive ministers in a helicopter crash on Wednesday.
Spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu, in a statement, announced that Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson will assume additional responsibility as Defence Minister, while Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Kofi Armah Buah has been tasked to act as Minister for Environment, Science and Technology until further notice, according to Ghana News Agency reports.
The announcement follows the demise of Ghana's Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment, Science and Technology Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed in a helicopter crash alongside six other people on Wednesday morning.
Victims’ families informed
In the wake of the incident, Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang led a high-level delegation to formally inform the bereaved families.
The team included senior government officials, national executives of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), and members of the Military High Command.
According to a statement from Presidential Spokesman Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Vice President Opoku-Agyemang visited the homes of Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, the late Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, and Alhaji Muniru Lumuna, the late Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator.
Separately, Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff at the Presidency, and Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the NDC National Chairman, led another team to inform and offer condolences to the mother and family of the late Edward Omane Boamah, who served as Minister of Defence.
Furthermore, two additional teams have been dispatched to Takoradi to inform and offer support to the homes and families of the helicopter crew, as well as Samuel Sarpong, NDC First Vice Chairman, and Samuel Aboagye, Deputy Director General of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), who were also among the victims.
