Helicopter crash: ‘State of Ghana Armed Forces is alarmingly terrible’ — Franklin Cudjoe

Founding President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has raised alarm over the state of the Ghana Armed Forces, describing it as “alarmingly terrible.”

According to him, the military saw no significant infrastructural or logistical upgrade during the eight-year tenure of the Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.

In a social media post on Thursday, August 7, Mr Cudjoe claimed that some military officers believe the country lacks the capacity to defend itself against external attacks.

“We are mourning, but we must demand answers! I am in touch with the highest echelons of power, and the truth, my dear brothers and sisters, is that the state of Ghana’s Armed Forces was, and is still, alarmingly terrible. No serious additions and maintenance in the last 8 years.

“My brother, Omane Boamah, consistently raised these issues at almost every Armed Forces Security Council meeting. One top military liaison said, ‘If even Togo were to attack us, we would be wanting.’ And yet, we had $58 million to mess around with some crap edifice. More details later! Not all mourners are genuine! I am very, very angry. You should be,” he wrote.

The statement comes on the back of a military helicopter crash on Wednesday, August 6, which claimed the lives of eight Ghanaians while travelling to Obuasi for the launch of the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme, a government initiative aimed at tackling illegal mining..

Those persihed individuals include the Minister for Defence, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, and the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Alhaji Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed.

Other victims were Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator; Dr Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the NDC; Mr Samuel Aboagye, a former parliamentary candidate; Squadron Leader Peter Anala; Flying Officer Twum Ampadu; and Sergeant Ernest Addo.