Security Analyst, Colonel Festus Aboagye (Rtd), has urged the John Mahama administration to make public the full investigative report into the August 6 helicopter crash that claimed eight lives, including senior government officials.
His call follows the submission of the final report by the investigating committee to President John Dramani Mahama on Monday, November 10, during a National Security Council meeting at the Jubilee House.
Speaking on Channel One TV, Col. Aboagye emphasized the importance of transparency given the scale of the tragedy and the public concern it has sparked.
“I have seen snippets of it on social media. We, as Ghanaians, deserve to see the report in full,” he said. “This is a matter of public interest. The loss of lives has affected several people and institutions, and it raises serious questions about our preparedness and ability to manage emergencies.”
The report, chaired by Acting Minister for Defence Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, concluded that the Ghana Air Force helicopter experienced a sudden loss of altitude due to a strong downdraft while flying through unstable weather conditions. It also noted that both pilots were “highly qualified and fully competent,” effectively ruling out human error as the primary cause of the crash.
The helicopter had departed Accra at around 9:12 a.m. en route to Obuasi for an anti-illegal mining exercise but lost radar contact less than an hour into the flight.
Col. Aboagye reiterated that publishing the full report would promote accountability, improve institutional learning, and help prevent similar aviation disasters in the future.