KEY POINTS
- Omane Boamah discussed Akwatia by-election strategy hours before his death.
- He was known for meticulous virtual planning sessions.
- His final meeting ended just before the fatal helicopter trip.
Just hours before his death in a military helicopter crash, Ghana’s Defence Minister Dr. Omane Boamah was deep in political planning. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) elections strategist began his day virtually, laying out detailed plans for the party’s approach to the Akwatia by-election—an effort that, according to his colleagues, reflected his trademark precision and tireless work ethic.
Omane Boamah’s final political moves
Deputy Director of Elections and IT for the NDC, Rashid Tanko-Computer, told JoyNews that the late minister joined a 7 a.m. virtual meeting to discuss campaign tactics. Known for shunning lengthy in-person gatherings, Dr. Boamah preferred digital strategy sessions, mapping responsibilities and setting deadlines with military precision.
“He was a master planner,” Tanko-Computer recalled, describing how the minister assigned tasks and expected an “A+” execution from his team. The group was due to report back by evening, unaware that Boamah would later board the ill-fated helicopter.
A meticulous planner to the end
According to MyJoyOnline, Tanko-Computer said Dr. Boamah had been instrumental in shaping the NDC’s 2024 election operations, tracing his hands-on approach back to early meetings in 2023 with then-candidate John Mahama. He revealed that Boamah had warned early on that the opposition New Patriotic Party would be “out for trouble” in the upcoming polls.
The helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region killed eight people, including Dr. Boamah. President John Mahama has ordered a high-level investigative board to determine the cause of the tragedy.
