Deputy Director of Elections and IT for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Rashid Tanko-Computer, has disclosed that the late Defence Minister, Dr Omane Boamah, never informed close associates about his travel on the day of the tragic military helicopter crash.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, Tanko-Computer revealed that he and other colleagues had a virtual meeting with Dr Boamah early that morning.
“In fact, in the morning, we had a close discussion with Dr Omane Boamh around 7 am. It was virtual. Because he mostly does meetings virtually,” he said.
A Man of Time and Strategy
Tanko-Computer, who also serves as Acting CEO of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), described the late minister as someone who valued efficiency.
“He was a type who wanted to maximise time. Instead of people coming together, sitting around, he would say, ‘Let’s use the social media platforms to do our discussions.’ So most of our meetings were held virtually in the run-up to the 2024 election,” he noted.
Recalling his first encounter with Dr Boamah in 2023 at then-candidate John Mahama’s office, Tanko-Computer said he quickly recognised his strategic foresight.
Deeply Involved in Election Planning
On the morning of the crash, Dr Boamah was actively engaged in discussions about the Akwatia by-election.
“Around 7.45 am, Dr Omane was giving us strategies on how to go about the Akwatia by-election. He gave us all this strategy because Dr Omane was a master planner. He was behind all these things that we’re doing [in winning elections].”
Tanko-Computer added that the late minister was meticulous in planning. “He will sit down, put pen and paper together, map up the strategy and say, ‘You go and handle this and that’ and sit back. And we’ll go and bring him an A+. That is how he was.”
According to him, nothing in their conversations suggested that Dr Boamah was preparing to travel. “So that morning, we had finished all this thing, and were to report back to him by evening, but he didn’t tell us that he was travelling. None of us knew he was going to travel.”
National Tragedy
The military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District claimed the lives of Dr Omane Boamah, another cabinet minister, and six others.
President John Mahama has since ordered a high-level investigation into the cause of the crash.
