The Minority in Parliament has intensified pressure on President John Dramani Mahama to appoint substantive ministers to the Defence and Environment Ministries, months after the tragic deaths of the sector ministers in a helicopter crash.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin raised the issue on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday as the House resumed sittings for the Ninth Session, describing the continued absence of full ministers as a risk to governance and national security.
“Outside this chamber, the situation is harsher, a nation without two important ministers. It has been months since the tragic helicopter crash took our ministers for Defence and Environment. Those vital ministries remain without substantive leadership,” he said.
Directly appealing to the President, Mr. Afenyo-Markin added, “We demand that Mr. President nominate these ministers to mount these ministries.”
Currently, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson is serving as Acting Minister for Defence, while Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Armah Kofi Buah, is also acting as Minister for the Environment.
The Minority, however, says the temporary arrangement is inadequate for ministries with heavy national responsibilities.
“It is not enough to have the Minister of Finance, with a huge responsibility, also taking up the Ministry of Defence,” Mr. Afenyo-Markin argued.
The demand follows last year’s helicopter crash that claimed the lives of the Ministers for Defence and Environment alongside five other officials. The aircraft was on an official assignment when it went down, killing all occupants on board.
Since the incident, both ministries have been managed on an acting basis—a situation the Minority says cannot continue without weakening efficiency, oversight, and accountability.
In November 2025, the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIB Ghana), chaired by National Security Coordinator COP Abdul-Razak Osman, released its final report into the Z-9 helicopter crash, outlining findings on the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
The Minority insists that beyond investigations, the President must act swiftly to restore full leadership at the Defence and Environment Ministries to ensure stability and effective administration.
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