President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has released a statement following the tragic helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District that claimed the lives of eight individuals, including top government officials and military personnel.
While expressing grief over the national tragedy, Cudjoe did not hold back on what he believes to be systemic failures within Ghana’s Armed Forces. “We are mourning but we must demand answers!” he wrote, suggesting that the disaster points to longstanding negligence.
According to him, the state of the military has remained in a dangerously poor condition over the last eight years. “No serious additions and maintenance in the last 8 years,” he stated, stressing that his close contact with high-ranking officials confirms the extent of the decline.
Cudjoe further revealed that the late Defence Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, had persistently raised alarm about the dire state of the Armed Forces. “My brother, Omane Boamah consistently raised these issues at almost every Armed Forces Security Council meeting,” he noted.
He quoted a top military liaison who painted a grim picture of Ghana’s defense readiness: “If even Togo were to attack us, we would be wanting.”
In a scathing critique of the previous government priorities, Cudjoe also questioned the allocation of funds, citing an alleged $58 million spent on what he called a “crap edifice” (referencing the National Cathedral) instead of crucial military upgrades. “More details later! Not all mourners are genuine! I am very very angry. You should be.”
