By Daniel Bampoe
The General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Church, Rev. Dr. Stephen Yenusom Wengam, has come under intense public scrutiny following his remarks attributing President John Mahama’s absence from the ill-fated military helicopter flight to divine intervention through prayer.
The crash, which occurred on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, claimed the lives of eight senior government and military officials, plunging the nation into mourning.
Rev. Wengam, speaking at a recent church event, recounted a series of events he believes led to the President avoiding the tragic flight.
According to him, he felt uneasy after learning from the President’s Secretary, Dr. Callistus Mahama, that the President would miss a scheduled church program to attend Côte d’Ivoire’s Independence Day celebration.
Rev Wengam claimed he immediately instructed his prayer team to intercede, asking God to reverse the President’s travel plans.
The clergyman detailed what he described as a “battle” involving the First Lady, Lordina Mahama, who reportedly opposed the President’s change of schedule.
He further claimed that due to persistent prayers and spiritual intervention, the President’s trip was delayed to Thursday—just one day after the crash.
“If he had come today, he would have travelled on Wednesday,” Rev. Wengam declared, concluding that the President’s life was spared through divine orchestration.
However, these comments have sparked public outrage, with critics accusing the revered clergyman of insensitivity and spiritual elitism.
In a widely circulated open letter, political commentator P.K. Sarpong questioned the logic and morality behind Rev. Wengam’s assertions.
He argued that the pastor’s claim suggested the lives of Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Dr. Samuel Sarpong, Muniru Mohammed, and four others were “sacrificed” in exchange for the President’s safety.
“Simply put, you didn’t ask God to avert the tragedy but asked Him to transfer it to the others who were on board,” Sarpong wrote.
“How do you want the bereaved families to feel now that you have told them the eight people’s lives were used to exchange for the life of the President?”
P. K Sarpong also challenged the notion that prayer by a select few could protect one life while others perished, asking whether the prayers of the deceased’s families and pastors were not equally valid in the eyes of God.
“This is not how a man of God should speak. Respectfully, you are being ignorant,” he continued, calling on Rev. Wengam to issue a public apology for what he described as a “highly insensitive” statement that has deepened the trauma of grieving families.
Rev. Wengam’s comments come amid a national period of mourning and reflection, with state authorities announcing a state funeral scheduled for August 15, 2025, to honour the eight fallen officials.
Tributes have poured in from across the political and religious spectrum, with many calling for unity and respect during this period of collective grief.
