ACCRA, GHANA – August 7, 2025 – The Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) is deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash that occurred on the morning of Wednesday, August 6, 2025, near Adansi Sikaman in the Ashanti Region. The crash claimed the lives of eight distinguished Ghanaians, including senior government officials and military personnel.
PRINPAG extends its heartfelt condolences to the President of the Republic, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, the Government of Ghana, the bereaved families, the Ghana Armed Forces, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and all Ghanaians affected by this devastating national tragedy.
The nation has suffered a profound loss with the deaths of dedicated public servants, including Dr. Omane-Boamah and Alhaji Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. We also mourn the untimely passing of the other six individuals on board: Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Dr. Samuel Sarpong, Mr. Samuel Aboagye, Squadron Leader Peter Bafimi Anala, Flying Officer Twum Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo-Mensah. Their contributions to our nation will not be forgotten.
In the wake of this tragedy, PRINPAG urges all journalists, particularly its members, to exercise the utmost responsibility and sensitivity in their reportage. We must remember that behind every name is a family grieving a loved one. We implore our colleagues to avoid sensationalism, respect the privacy of the bereaved families, and report only accurate, verified information. This is a time for national mourning, and we must uphold the highest standards of journalistic ethics and professionalism.
PRINPAG stands in solidarity with the nation in mourning this irreplaceable loss. We call on the general public to allow the bereaved families space to grieve in peace and encourage all Ghanaians to keep them in their thoughts and prayers.
May the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace.
A helicopter has been engulfed in flames and burned beyond recognition after crashing into a tree at Adansi Akrofuom in the Ashanti Region.
The tragic incident occurred on the morning of Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
The aircraft, which reportedly flies the Accra–Obuasi route every Wednesday, went down under unclear circumstances.
The Assembly Member for the area, Matthew Baah, confirmed the incident during an interview on Adom FM’s Kasiebo Is Tasty. He explained that he was working on his farm when he received a distress call.
A scene after the crash
“After the crash, everything went silent. Residents who rushed to the scene found the helicopter in flames,” he recounted.
Initial observations suggest that four people may have been on board, as dismembered body parts were recovered from the crash site. However, their identities have not yet been confirmed.
While the exact cause of the crash remains under investigation, Mr Baah noted that poor weather conditions could have been a contributing factor.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Armed Forces has, in a statement issued today, confirmed that the Helicopter which was on its way to Obuasi, cannot be found on its radar.
It said the Helicopter had 3 crew members and five passengers.
The occupants were said to be attending an event in Obuasi. The programme was the launch of the government’s Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP), a flagship initiative designed to transform Ghana’s artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector.
The initiative, which was approved by Cabinet follows a proposal by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, in line with President John Dramani Mahama’s vision to create sustainable jobs through responsible mining and skills development.
The new programme merges and reforms the existing Community Mining Scheme (CMS) and the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP).
According to the Ministry, rCOMSDEP will introduce a more coordinated and efficient approach to ASM by establishing regulated, community-owned mining cooperatives.
These cooperatives will receive professional training, legal concessions, and access to shared processing facilities equipped with modern gold recovery technologies and water treatment systems.
A member of Parliament’s Roads and Transport Committee and MP for Bantama, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has cautioned the government against halting the ongoing Accra–Kumasi dual carriageway project in favour of a proposed six-lane expressway.
He warned that such a move could violate constitutional obligations and lead to a waste of public resources.
In a letter addressed to President John Dramani Mahama, Mr. Asenso-Boakye called for a reconsideration of the new expressway plan, urging the government to instead prioritise the completion of the existing dualisation project.
“My concern is borne, not out of partisanship, but in the interest of continuity, prudence, and national development,” he stated.
Francis Asenso-Boakye
“I respectfully urge you to review the current course and provide leadership that consolidates, not disrupts, the modest gains we have made as a country.”
His concerns follow recent remarks by the Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, who defended the decision to pursue a new six-lane expressway between Accra and Kumasi. The minister argued that the current highway, despite ongoing upgrades, runs through densely populated areas and may not meet future traffic demands.
However, Mr. Asenso-Boakye cited Article 35(7) of the 1992 Constitution, which compels successive governments to continue development projects initiated by previous administrations in the national interest. He argued that abandoning a viable, ongoing project contradicts this constitutional requirement and risks setting a poor governance precedent.
“Abandoning an ongoing project that is technically sound, economically justified, and already delivering results contradicts this constitutional directive,” he said.
“It may set a precedent of wasteful governance.”
He also responded to concerns raised by the Roads Minister regarding cost overruns and variations in the existing project, acknowledging that such issues are normal in large-scale infrastructure developments.
While supporting efforts to investigate any financial irregularities, he stressed that these should be addressed within legal and contractual boundaries rather than used as grounds to cancel the project.
“Variations and cost adjustments are common in major infrastructure works,” he explained.
“Discontinuing a critical national project based on unresolved variations not only undermines continuity but sets a troubling precedent for future infrastructure development.”
Mr. Asenso-Boakye further questioned the feasibility of the proposed new expressway, noting that no feasibility studies, design documents, or secured funding are currently in place, despite promises that work would begin next year and conclude within three years.
“In the context of Ghana’s current fiscal constraints and competing infrastructure needs nationwide, it would be far more prudent to complete the existing dualisation project than to commence a new, significantly more expensive one,” he added.Source:William Narh
Mr. Patrick Kwame Frimpong, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Safe Journey Foundation, a non-governmental Organization specialist in road safety education and management, has declared the Accra-Kumasi highway as a deathtrap.
According to him, the Accra-Kumasi highway, which serves 14 out of the 16 regions, has become a leading “killer” of road users, for which reason there is an urgent need for all hands to be on deck for the immediate fixing of the highway devoid of the usual political assurance by successive governments.
Mr.Patrick Kwame Frimpong
He said apart from those in the Central and Western religions who don’t use the road, the majority of people in the 14 regions use the highway, which has claimed many lives over the years.
According to him, the recent road accidents should be a wake-up call for the government to do whatever possible in the shortest time to help fix the highway.
The renewed call by the CEO of Safe Journey Foundation, who doubles as the National NALAG Vice-President and the Presiding Member for the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), in an interview with “The New Trust” newspaper on Sunday, 3rd August 2025, follows the recent lorry accident that claimed the lives of 16 members of the Saviour Church in the Asante Akyem South Municipality in the Ashanti Region.
It would recalled that 16 members of the Saviour Church of Ghana lost their lives following a tragic accident on the Atwedie stretch of the Kumasi-Accra highway on Monday, July 28, 2025.
The incident, which occurred around 2:30 p.m., involved a collision between a vehicle carrying the church members and a fuel tanker which was coming from the opposite direction.
Available information revealed that the victims were returning to Obogu in the Asante Akyem South Municipality, after attending their church’s annual meeting in the Eastern Region.
The head-on collision led to multiple fatalities on the spot and few members survived with serious injures.
File scenes of the recent road accident
It is as a result of that unfortunate incident that Mr. Frimpong is appealing to the government to secure funding for at least three to four lanes for the Accra-Kumasi highway.
“Accra-Kumasi highway needs 3-4 lanes to avoid further road accidents. I’m also appealing to all road users, especially drivers, to be extra careful by avoiding speeding, wrong overtaking, drink-driving, but rather follow all the road regulations to help reduce, if not eliminate, the rampant fatal lorry accidents,” he added.
The Human Rights Division of the High Court in Accra has dismissed a judicial review application filed by suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo, ruling that the case constituted an abuse of court process and that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain it.
The ruling, delivered by Justice Kwame Amoako, marks the collapse of a second legal challenge by the suspended Chief Justice over the ongoing proceedings for her potential removal from office under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution.
This judicial review follows an earlier constitutional interpretation case filed by Justice Torkonoo at the Supreme Court, which is still pending. However, an injunction application she filed to halt the impeachment proceedings, pending the outcome of the Supreme Court case, was previously dismissed.
Details of the High Court Application
Filed on June 9, 2025, the judicial review application sought nine reliefs, including a series of declarations that the Article 146 committee investigating her had acted unlawfully. The Chief Justice also requested the court to quash proceedings of the committee and prohibit it from continuing without providing authenticated copies of the petitions and responses.
Court’s Legal Reasoning
In his ruling, Justice Amoako categorized the reliefs into two groups: those dismissed as an abuse of court process, and those dismissed for want of jurisdiction.
Reliefs Dismissed as Abuse of Court Process
The court found that several of the Chief Justice’s claims were already before the Supreme Court in the constitutional interpretation case. These included:
Allegations that the committee was proceeding unlawfully due to the Registry’s failure to provide authenticated petitions and responses;
2. A request to prohibit the committee from continuing its work without those authenticated documents;
Claims that the committee was wrongfully conducting adversarial proceedings, rather than an impartial inquiry;
4. Allegations that the committee’s composition was unlawful.
Justice Amoako held that re-litigating these issues at the High Court, while they are under active consideration by the Supreme Court, amounted to duplicative litigation and an abuse of the court process.
Reliefs Dismissed for Want of Jurisdiction
The remaining reliefs were struck out on jurisdictional grounds. These included:
Requests to nullify the committee’s sittings on the basis that the Chief Justice was denied a fair hearing;
2. Allegations that her legal team was prevented from representing her during the proceedings;
3. Claims of procedural breaches of the Constitution and the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules;
4. An application for an order of certiorari to quash the committee’s proceedings.
The court held that it could not inquire into these matters, as they related directly to proceedings of the Article 146 committee, which, under Article 146(8) of the Constitution, are to be held in-camera and shielded from external review.
The Asante Youth Association (AYA), a famous group known for championing the development of Asanteman and its citizens, has asked the Mahama administration to show in plain terms if they really want the progress of Asanteman or do otherwise if they rather approve of the insulting behaviour of Kevin Taylor, a self styled broadcaster.
In a press release copied to this outfit Tuesday evening, the President of the group, Dr. Ronald Ofori expressed disappointment in the government.
He noted that from the behaviour of the NDC government, it shows they rather prefer supporting the escapades of the ill-mannered and unruly Kevin Taylor than Asanteman.
“It is clear that the NDC prefer supporting this ill-mannered Kevin Taylor who has insulted Otumfuo’s linguist and every imoortant person in the country except the President and some persons in NDC”, the AYA President stated.
Elevation of Dormaahene:
The AYA President also stated that the NDC seems to empower persons who speak ill about Asanteman and its linguists.
He noted that the Dormaahene, Oseadeaye Agyeman Badu has on countless occasions made derogatory comments about Asanteman.
This same chief, the AYA President said has also sought to distort historical narrative about Asanteman and the people of Dormaa.
“We are scandalised that after denigrating Asanteman, the Dormaahene has been elevated by the NDC government from the High Court to the Court of Appeal status and this shows a worrisome pattern”, the AYA President stated.
Judiciary:
Dr Ofori wondered why the judiciary was becoming the latest tool the NDC finds handy to use to execute controversial issues.
He said it was unthinkable that the courts rather than punishing the abusive and insolent Kevin Taylor chose to set him free.
The group expressed opprobrium that Kevin Taylor was granted diplomatic protection by National Security assigns despite being charged by the courts earlier for displaying abusive conduct.
Security Situation:
The AYA President said the group was surprised that rather than advancing security to areas where criminal activities are rampant, the government was seeking to protect persons with questionable character.
The group therefore asked the government to send security persons to halt criminal activities in Nkwanta, Bawku and Asawase where innocent persons have been killed.
Former Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, has officially declared his intention to contest the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential primaries ahead of the 2028 general election.
His announcement follows the party’s decision to open nominations for the presidential primaries.
In a press statement issued on Monday, July 29, Mr. Agyapong said, “Now that nominations have been opened, I will be contesting for the New Patriotic Party’s 2028 Presidential Primaries.”
Kennedy Ohene Agyapong
He expressed appreciation for the broad support he has received from across the country, including NPP supporters, professionals, youth groups, and Members of Parliament, some of whom have offered to fund his nomination.
Framing his ambition as a collective mission, Mr. Agyapong pledged to unite the nation and lead with integrity.
“This is not just my journey, it is our collective mission. Together, we will rise above partisanship, unite across regions, and build a Ghana where every citizen, young or old, rich or poor, has a fair shot at success. I am ready to listen to you and to lead with integrity and purpose. Let us move forward together.”Source:Leticia Osei
The leadership and members of Concerned Youth of Asante, led by Nana Agyenim Boateng, have strongly opposed the planned anti-igbo demonstration in Ghana.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, 28th July 2025, held at Noks Hotel in Kumasi, Nana Agyenim Boateng, who is popularly known as Gyataba, expressed their strong opposition to the planned demonstration against their Igbo brothers and sisters in Ghana.
According to him, Asanteman has always been a beacon of hospitality, welcoming foreigners and treating them with Kindness.
He said “let me be clear: the presence of Igbo individuals in Ghana is not an issue. We respect their roles in our communities.”
The President of Concerned Youth of Asante, therefore, urged the government to focus on strengthening our borders to prevent malicious individuals from entering the country.
Nana Agyenim Boateng speaking at the Press conference
The full speech is reproduced below:
Fellow Ghanaians, esteemed members of the media fraternity,
Today, I, Dr. Nana Agyenim Boateng, President of Concerned Youth of Asante, stand before you to express our strong opposition to the planned demonstration against our Igbo brothers and sisters in Ghana.
Asanteman has always been a beacon of hospitality, welcoming foreigners and treating them with kindness. This tradition of warmth and acceptance makes the proposed demonstration unnecessary and unwelcome.
Let me be clear: the presence of Igbo individuals in Ghana is not an issue. We respect their roles in our communities. Instead of targeting our Igbo neighbours, I urge our government to focus on strengthening our borders to prevent malicious individuals from entering our country.
Ghanaians are known for their hospitable nature, and we are always ready to welcome foreigners with open hearts.
However, I advise all foreigners living in Ghana to abide by our laws, contributing positively to our societies and living in harmony with us.
In conclusion, Concerned Youth of Asante stands firm in promoting unity and peaceful coexistence among all residents in Ghana. Let us reject hatred and division, and embrace our shared humanity instead.
The organisers of an upcoming Care-connect programme led by JP Cares Incorporated, a non-governmental organisation, have confirmed that all is set for a massive health screening, feeding and donations to widows and orphans within the Sekyere South Municipality, especially in the district capital, Agona, in the Ashanti Region.
The objectives of the programme are to provide health screening, backpacks to specifically two Schools (Interbeton School in Agona and Abrakaso DA School).The rest of the donations and activities are open to the public including feeding about 1,000 people, donation of sanitary items, dental essentials, clothing while promoting mental health awareness and community engagement.
The sanitary items are pads and deodorants, including dental essentials such as toothbrushes, etc.
The event, which is led by JP Cares, with the support of the Ministry of Gender, Children & Social Protection and the Agona Government Hospital, is scheduled for Wednesday, 23rd July 2025 at Interbeton School, Agona, Ashanti.
The organisers are, therefore, encouraging all Ghanaians, especially those in the Sekyere South Municipality, to join the event.
JP Cares is a non-profit organisation with a clear mission of empowering at- risk youth and children to thrive,JP Cares provides holistic support through mentorship, education, community engagement,and wellness initiatives, fostering resilience,hope,and brighter future.
Our Vision:To cultivate a compassionate world where vulnerable youths and children, regardless of their circumstances, thieves with dignity, support,and opportunity.
Karen Baaba Sam, the young mother at the heart of a child custody battle with the father of her six-year-old daughter, has instituted an action at the High Court in Accra against The New Crusading Guide newspaper, its publisher Kweku Baako Jr, and the editor of the paper, Ernest Addo, over what she describes as a “false, malicious and defamatory” publication that has caused her and her six-year old daughter severe emotional and reputational harm.
According to a Writ of Summons issued and filed at the High Court registry on 11 July 2025, Baaba Sam, who is suing on her behalf and that of her daughter (referred to as minor “O”), is seeking among other things: a declaration that the defendants’ publications are defamatory, general and aggravated damages, a public retraction and apology, and an injunction restraining any further publications relating to her and her child.
False publication
The lawsuit stems from a front-page story published by the New Crusading Guide on 2 July 2025, with the headline: “Karen Baaba Sam Elopes With Child… Hops Out With ‘Boyfriend’ On Brussels Airline After Losing Custody Battle.”
The article, which included photographs of Baaba and her daughter, claimed that she had fled Ghana illegally with her child in violation of a court order, following an unfavourable ruling in an ongoing child custody case.
In her Statement of Claim, Baaba refuted the assertions in the New Crusading Guide Publication, describing the report as “a grossly malicious account of the court proceedings, plainly calculated to cast the Plaintiff (Karen Baaba Sam) as a criminal who has eloped from justice.”
Baaba’s pleadings
Ms Karen Baaba Sam narrates that the domestic abuse and custody dispute have been pending in the various courts since April 2024, follow years of persistent violent abuses suffered at the hands of her ex-partner and the little child’s father, named Kwadwo Adjei (popularly called Nana Adjei) which abuses compelled Plaintiff to terminate her relationship with the Nana Adjei.
“The Pending cases are yet to even proceed to trial and for judgments to be delivered by the respective courts, together with several associated suits that have since been filed.
“Pending the final determination of the domestic abuse and child custody case, the respective courts have made several interlocutory orders since April 2024, including one made on 24 March 2025 wherein the Plaintiff (Baaba Sam) was granted interim access to the little child on weekdays and the father was granted interim access on weekends.
“On 11 June 2025, the interim access orders were quashed by another court at the instance of the father (Nana Adjei), and following which Karen Baaba Sam exercised her rights and picked up her little child from school.
“21 days later and during the little child’s school vacation, she (Baaba Sam) was confronted with countless calls and panicked enquiries early morning of Wednesday 2 July 2025 from family members, friends, acquaintances, and colleagues enquiring about her and her child, their safety, and whereabouts.
“Whereupon Ms Sam says she was informed that photographs of her and her little child had been splashed on the front page of the Vol. 17 No. 080 issue of the New Crusading Guide newspaper with the bold caption: “Karen Baaba Sam Elopes With Child…Elops Out With Boyfriend On Brussels Airline After Losing Custody Battle”.
Ms Baaba Sam further narrates in her pleadings that “the photograph of her and her little child was one of only four colour-printed headline stories, and the second largest front page publication, with readers directed to the main story on page 3 of the newspaper.
“At the directed page 3, the 3rd Defendant had devoted an entire half- page to author and publish gross falsehoods, laced with half-truths, deceptive words and implications of a criminal, such as “slippery lady”, “fled the shores of Ghana”, “traffick [ed] the girl child from Ghana”, amidst others in an utterly false, misleading and malicious account of the court proceedings, plainly calculated to and casting the Plaintiff as a “criminal who has “eloped from justice, among others.”
According to Ms Sam, “at the time of the publication, the custody and domestic abuse proceedings had not yet concluded and were still pending in court. She explained that the court had issued interim access orders, which were later quashed at the request of the child’s father. Following this, she legally picked up her daughter from school on June 11, 2025.
“Despite this, the New Crusading Guide newspaper claimed she had “fled the shores of Ghana,” “trafficked the girl child,” and had done so with the help of a male acquaintance, whom the article identified as her boyfriend.” The publication further alleged that “available evidence, including flight manifest and other documented evidence showed that Baaba departed Ghana on a Brussels flight June 13…”
“These statements were not only false and misleading, but also intentionally framed to portray her as a “slippery lady” and a fugitive engaged in child trafficking. She described the language used, such as “fled the shores of Ghana,” “trafficked the girl child,” and “refused to return the child”, as criminalizing, slanderous, and damaging to her dignity and safety,” Baaba Sam stated in her pleadings.
Consistent pattern
Ms Baaba Sam further indicated in her statement of claim that the “conduct of the defendants follows a consistent pattern that has continued from January 2025, and orchestrated to expose her to emotional, psychological and physical abuses and threats, and in complete violation of statutory laws for the protection of persons such as her and her infant child from harm and injuries from such publications.”
“The Defendants are not only engaged in defaming and lowering her esteem and reputation in the eyes and minds of the ordinary members of the public, but also embarked on a crusading enterprise to make and reap immense commercial gains from the extremely traumatic ordeals she and her little child continue to be subjected to, by the persistent false, injurious and sensational publications of and concerning her.
Illegal CCTV footage
Karen Baaba Sam states that in their (the defendants’) quest to defame her for commercial gain, the Defendants flagrantly disregarded laws against the publication that identifies a child in domestic abuse and custody matters.
Karen Baaba Sam adds that “the Defendants went to the extent of procuring persons holding offices in both the public service and the private sector, mainly in the security, communication and information services, and funded by Kwadwo Adjei, to procure statutorily restricted records about her and her little child, to perpetrate their defamatory, damaging and injurious conduct against her and her little child.
“Plaintiff (Baaba Sam) adds that the images published were illegally procured from security footage from CCTV surveillance cameras installed at places such as the airports, in gross violation of the rights of Ms Baaba Sam and her little child.”
Reliefs sought
In light of the harm caused, Ms Baaba Sam is seeking eight reliefs. First is a declaration that the defendants’ publications are defamatory. Second, a declaration that the defendants publications violate the statutorily guaranteed rights of protection and security of her and her little child “O”.
Third, General damages for defamation. Fourth, general damages for the egregious violation of the guaranteed rights of protection and security of the Plaintiff (Ms Baaba Sam) and her little child. Fifth, aggravated, punitive, as well as exemplary damages for the defendants’ grossly unwarranted and unjustified publications.”
Sixth, an order compelling the defendants to issue a written retraction of the defamatory statements and render an unqualified apology to Ms Baaba Sam and her little child.”
Seventh, “an order for defendants to publish the retraction and apology in a coloured, front-page publication in the Daily Graphic newspaper, and additionally through the same channels they published the defamatory statements on three consecutive occasions.”
Lastly, “an order restraining the defendants from any further defamatory and otherwise injurious publications of and concerning Ms Karen Baaba Sam and her little child.”
