National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has revealed that he narrowly missed being aboard the military helicopter that crashed in the Ashanti Region on Wednesday, August 6, claiming eight lives, including two cabinet ministers.
Speaking while commiserating with one of the bereaved families, Asiedu Nketiah shared that he had been scheduled to join the trip to Obuasi for the launch of the Responsible Co-operative Mining and Skills Development Programme (COMSDEP).
However, a last-minute change of plans led him to assign the role to his vice chairman, Dr. Samuel Sarpong — who was among those who perished in the crash.
“Allah does what he wants. I was supposed to be on the flight, and last minute, I directed my vice chairman, Dr. Sarpong, to go and stand in for the party, and he accepted it,” he said.
Reflecting on the tragic twist of fate, Asiedu Nketiah added: “In your human ways, you may be thinking that if I had not sent Sarpong, maybe he would be living. But who knows?
“God might have decided that if this is his time, he will be knocked down by a trotro [commercial bus] in Accra. So, we don’t question what Allah wants to do. So, in all things, we give thanks to him.”
The crash, which occurred in the Adansi Akrofuom District, claimed the lives of Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Environment Minister Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Muniru Mohammed Limuna, former Ashanti Regional Minister Dr. Samuel Sarpong, former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye, and three military personnel.
