Helicopter crash: How Asiedu Nketia paid tribute to late Samuel Sarpong

The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has paid an emotional tribute to the party’s late Vice Chairman, Samuel Sarpong, describing his death as a personal sacrifice that saved his own life.

Speaking during a condolence visit to the bereaved family at Juaben on Saturday, August 9, Nketiah revealed that he was originally scheduled to be on the ill-fated helicopter that crashed on August 6 in the Adansi Akrofuom District, claiming the lives of eight individuals, including Sarpong.

According to him, a last-minute change of plans led him to delegate his vice to represent him at the launch of the Responsible Co-operative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) in Obuasi.

“I had to cancel due to a sudden change in my schedule, so I asked him to attend. He never hesitated because he was always ready to work. In a way, he sacrificed his life for me,” Nketiah said, his voice breaking with emotion.

Sources said that Asiedu Nketiah who chairs the Board of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority had a meeting with GPHA director General in the morning hence delegating Samuel Sarpong.

He further disclosed that President John Mahama was also meant to attend the programme but had delegated Defence Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, while Interior Minister Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak sent Environment Minister Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed.

Both ministers, along with Sarpong and five others, perished in the crash.

In a poignant detail, Asiedu Nketiah revealed that Samuel Sarpong’s appointment letter as Board Chairman of the Cocoa Processing Company had been prepared and was due for presentation on the very morning of the accident.

“We have worked together since 1992 during the revolutionary days. He was loyal, committed, and instrumental in my political journey,” he said.

Following his visit to Juaben, Nketiah travelled to Obogu, a town still in deep mourning over a separate tragedy in which 16 children lost their lives in a road accident after attending a church programme organised by the Saviour Church of Ghana.

16 Obogu Accident Victims

The NDC Chairman, accompanied by party executives and some government officials, commiserated with the grieving families and presented GH₵60,000 in support.

His visit came amid public outrage over the government’s delayed response to the Obogu disaster.

The backlash intensified after it emerged that the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, only issued a condolence statement almost two weeks after the children had been buried — and only after issuing a detailed tribute for the helicopter crash victims.

Critics accused the government of showing greater concern for high-ranking officials than for ordinary citizens, with some calling for Dr. Lartey’s resignation.

President Mahama has since expressed his condolences to the families of the Obogu victims, but the delay has fuelled political debate, with opposition parties and civil society groups questioning his administration’s priorities and commitment to child welfare.

For Asiedu Nketiah, however, both tragedies are deeply personal — the helicopter crash claimed one of his closest allies, and the Obogu accident robbed an entire community of its young future.

“We will do everything possible to support these families,” he assured.