Helicopter Crash: Ghana Couldn’t Find $15m for Military Helicopter but Spent $97m Digging a Hole – Solomon Owusu

Solomon Owusu, a prominent member of the Movement for Change, has condemned what he describes as misplaced national priorities following the recent military helicopter crash that killed all eight passengers on board.

Speaking on the Big Issue segment of TV3’s NewDay on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, Owusu criticised the government for neglecting essential security needs while channelling vast sums into projects of questionable value.

Drawing comparisons with the United States military, he noted the stark difference in investment levels, stressing that Ghana’s armed forces receive inadequate funding for critical resources. He argued that the nation could acquire a strong, modern helicopter for under US$15 million, yet had chosen instead to pour millions into the abandoned National Cathedral project.

“We paid over US$22 million to David Adjaye just for the cathedral’s design, and US$97 million was spent merely to dig a hole. That is where our priorities lie, not in strengthening the army,” he lamented.

Owusu urged security analysts to be bold and direct in confronting the poor allocation of resources, rather than softening their critiques.

The fatal crash claimed the lives of Defence Minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah; Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed; Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Muniru Mohammed; former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye; NDC Vice Chairman Samuel Sarpong; Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala; Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu; and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.

The officials were en route to Obuasi in the Ashanti Region for an event aimed at tackling illegal mining (galamsey).