Omane Boamah was a potential president – Ebo Whyte

The creative arts industry has joined the nation in mourning the late Minister for Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, whose life was tragically cut short in the August 6, 2025, helicopter crash in the Ashanti Region.

Esteemed playwright and motivational speaker, Uncle Ebo Whyte, has penned a moving tribute, describing the late minister as “a true son, a leader, and a potential president” of Ghana.

In a heartfelt Facebook post, Ebo Whyte recalled the moment the devastating news reached him.

“Wednesday afternoon, my intercom rang… she said, ‘Uncle, breaking news, a military helicopter has crashed on its way to Obuasi.’ The news hit me hard… Time froze for me,” he wrote.

The accident, which occurred in Adansi Akrofuom, claimed eight lives, including top government officials and military officers.

Ebo Whyte shared a personal memory of meeting Dr. Omane Boamah at the launch of the book When Men Slept. He had offered to edit and publish the minister’s memoirs, but Dr. Boamah declined, citing his respect for Whyte’s need to remain apolitical.

This gesture, Whyte said, cemented his admiration for the late minister’s integrity and selflessness.

“What a loss. Ghana has lost a true son. A leader. A potential president. As far as I’m concerned, Wednesday should go down as one of the darkest days in our nation’s recent history,” he lamented.

The crash also claimed the lives of Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology; Alhaji Muniru Mohammed Limuna, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator; Dr. Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the NDC; Samuel Aboagye, Deputy Director-General of NADMO; and three Ghana Air Force crew members — Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Twum Ampadu Manaen, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.