By Grace Zigah
Minister for Education Haruna Iddrisu has penned an emotional tribute to his fallen colleague, Defence Minister Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, who died in the tragic Ghana Air Force helicopter crash of August 6, 2025 — now referred to as “Ghana’s Black Wednesday.”
The disaster claimed the lives of eight high-ranking government officials and military personnel, marking one of the darkest days in the nation’s political history.
According to official accounts, Dr Omane Boamah was aboard a Ghana Air Force Harbin Z-9 helicopter alongside Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Dr Alhaji Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed; Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna; NDC Vice Chairman, Dr Samuel Sarpong; former parliamentary candidate, Samuel Aboagye; and crew members Squadron Leader Peter Baafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manaen Twum Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
They were travelling to Obuasi in the Ashanti Region to launch the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) when the aircraft crashed near Sikaman in the Adansi Akrofuom District under yet-to-be-determined circumstances.
Haruna Iddrisu described the incident as a “national tragedy” and emphasised its unprecedented nature, given the number of senior officials lost at once.
He revealed that Dr Omane Boamah was originally not scheduled to be on the ill-fated flight, making the loss even more heart-wrenching. “He was formidable, thoughtful and strategic in all he did — a political thinker whose singular preoccupation was Mahama’s success, driven by love for mother Ghana,” Haruna wrote.
Dr Omane Boamah’s political journey began during his student years at the University of Ghana Medical School, where he served as President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) and Coordinating Secretary of the Federation of Ghana Medical Students Association.
His rise in national politics saw him serve as Deputy Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports, Minister for Communications, and Spokesperson for President John Dramani Mahama.
As Director of Elections and IT for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), he played a pivotal role in securing the party’s 2024 electoral victory, a contribution Haruna likened to that of a “midwife delivering a child.”
In recognition of his strategic brilliance, President Mahama appointed him Defence Minister in January 2025, entrusting him with the fight against illegal small-scale mining (galamsey).
Haruna reflected on their shared history as youthful political activists during President John Evans Atta Mills’ administration, when young leaders were deliberately given challenging ministerial portfolios to prove their capabilities.
He recalled personally recommending Dr Omane Boamah for ministerial service after receiving guidance from veteran politician Ato Ahwoi.
The Education Minister expressed deep personal grief, describing Dr Omane Boamah as both a trusted colleague and a younger brother.
“Only you could calm me because you understood my irrepressible temperament. You would tell them, ‘Leave Haruna to me,’” he wrote.
In his tribute, Haruna also drew symbolic meaning from the mission on which the late Defence Minister embarked, saying his blood “should be the caustic cleaning agent that purifies our water bodies from heavy metals and restores our degraded forests” from the destruction caused by galamsey.
Quoting the Binyon Verses, a traditional military farewell, Haruna concluded:
“Omane, you shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary you, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember you.”
Dr Edward Omane Boamah served as Defence Minister of Ghana from January 20, 2025, until his death on August 6, 2025.
