Accra, Ghana – The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) is devastated by the tragic death of five high-ranking government officials and a three-member crew of the Ghana Air Force in a helicopter crash on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, in the Adansi District in the Ashanti Region.
Our hearts are heavy with grief, and we stand in solemn solidarity with the nation in this moment of great national loss.
The GJA extends deepest and heartfelt condolences to the families of the bereaved, especially their spouses and children; the President of the Republic and the Government of Ghana, and the Ghana Armed Forces, who are now contending with unimaginable pain and grief for their loss. We pray for God’s divine strength and comfort to envelop them during this incredibly difficult time.
The deceased were gallant servants of the nation who were on a mission to address a critical challenge facing the nation currently – illegal small-scale mining popularly known as galamsey – before the unfortunate incident occurred. That is why even in this moment of downheartedness, we need to extol their virtues and dedication to the ideals of integrity, service and progress of Mother Ghana.
The GJA particularly recalls the cordial relations the Association had with Dr Edward Omane-Boamah during his tenure as Minister for Communications and Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed during his tenure as Deputy Minister of Information, in the first Mahama Administration. Our thoughts and prayers are with every single person affected by this devastating tragedy.
We take this opportunity to highly commend security, emergency and hospital officials, as well as all those who worked tirelessly to recover the remains of the deceased from the wreckage and transport them to the morgue. We appreciate their dedication to service even in the face of intense emotion and trepidation.
In this period of grief, the GJA urges all journalists and media houses to exercise the highest level of professionalism and empathy in their reportage. We entreat media practitioners across all platforms, including traditional and new media, to be ethical, circumspect and sensitive in their reportage.
We must honour the memory of the departed by treating this incident with the dignity and respect the deceased deserves. In that regard, we specifically call on all journalists and media houses, as well as the general public, to cease the circulation of gory images of the accident since they are highly insensitive and a direct violation of our code of ethics.
Following the tragedy, the National Executive has suspended all planned activities of the Association until further notice.
May the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace.
SIGNED
Albert Kwabena Dwumfour
(President)
