President John Dramani Mahama has declared three days of national mourning beginning Thursday, August 7, in response to the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of eight people, including Defense Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed.
A press statement from the Presidency Communications Office, signed by Felix Kwakye Ofosu (MP), spokesperson to the President, confirmed that President Mahama has suspended all official activities and engagements for the rest of the week.
“This is a moment of deep sorrow for our nation,” the statement read. “Following Wednesday’s national tragedy, the government, through the Chief of Staff, has directed that all flags fly at half-mast until further notice.”
The helicopter, a Z9 military aircraft, was en route from Accra to Obuasi when contact was lost. The crash has sent shockwaves across the nation, with tributes pouring in for the victims.
The period of mourning will include a halt to major state functions and national symbols lowered in honor of the lives lost in what is being described as one of the worst aviation tragedies in Ghana’s recent history.
