Ghana Air Force Planes Not In Good Condition- Otumfuo

The King of the Asante Kingdom, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has decried the antiquated state of the country’s planes, one of which crashed last week at Adansi Akrofrom in the Ashanti Region.

Otumfuo, for the umpteenth time, raised concerns about the current conditions of the essential aircraft during a courtesy visit by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, on August 13, 2025, to commiserate with His Majesty on the passing of Nana Konadu Yiadom III.

In his remarks, the Asantehene emphasised the need for the country to invest in modern aircraft both for the Air Force and the Presidency for efficiency and safety.

According to the King, the purchase of such crucial resources must not be politicised, as witnessed in times past.
“Enough of the politicisation of the purchase of Presidential planes and helicopters. Human lives are at stake here. We must invest to safeguard their safety and efficiency.”

Meanwhile, the Monarch noted that the death of the compatriots must be a wake-up call for critical action to root out illegal mining.

“The deaths of the eight people must not be in vain. The pain must be diverted into fighting galamsey and making it a thing of the past.”

Earlier Call
Before the tragic incident on August 6, Otumfuo had already raised concerns about effectively resourcing personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).

This was during a courtesy visit by the leadership of the GAF at the Manhyia Palace on July 23, 2025.

On this subject, Otumfuo cited the grounding of the country’s Dassault Falcon 900EX EASy (registration number 9G-EXE) in France since March 11, 2025.

“Provide the needed equipment to the three Forces. Recently, we heard that one of the Air Force planes has been grounded elsewhere. Deal with all those developments and provide the needed resources to augment their work.”

Crash
The GAF helicopter crash on August 6, 2025, in the Ashanti Region claimed the lives of Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, Minister for Defence, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Alhaji Muniru Mohammed Limuna, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator.

It also claimed the lives of Dr. Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Mr. Samuel Aboagye, Deputy Director-General, NADMO, Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manden Twum-Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.

Source: https://opemsuo.com/author/hajara-fuseini/