Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has revealed that many of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) health sector promises were inspired by the late Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah.
Speaking on The Point of View programme on Monday, August 11, 2025, Mr. Ablakwa highlighted Dr. Omane Boamah’s role as a key strategist for President John Mahama during the opposition years from 2017 to 2024.
“Many people do not know that a lot of the promises in the National Democratic Congress manifesto when it comes to the health sector are his thoughts,” Mr. Ablakwa said.
He pointed to initiatives such as free primary health care and the MahamaCares programme among others, noting that these were postulated by Dr. Omane Boamah and well received by the public.
“He became a strong strategist for President Mahama throughout the opposition period,” Mr. Ablakwa added.
The late Defence Minister, who tragically died in the August 6 military helicopter crash, left behind a legacy of policy innovation and political strategy that continues to influence the National Democratic Congress’s approach to governance.
The helicopter crash on Wednesday, August 6, claimed the lives of Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Minister for Defence, and Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation.
Others confirmed dead were Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator; Samuel Aboagye, former parliamentary candidate; and Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The crew members who perished were Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
Earlier, the Ghana Armed Forces reported that the Z-9 helicopter, carrying three crew members and five passengers, had gone “off the radar.”
The aircraft departed Accra at 09:12 local time (GMT) and was heading to Obuasi for an anti-illegal mining event. Its disappearance triggered an immediate search-and-rescue operation, which later confirmed that all eight people aboard had died.
