By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama on Friday appointed a new defence minister, a year after a military helicopter crash killed his predecessor.
The presidency said in a statement that Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, previously minister of works, housing and water resources, had been reassigned to the defence portfolio.
Adjei served as deputy defence minister from 2012 to 2017.
Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson has been acting as defence minister since August 2025, when the helicopter crash killed the defence minister, Edward Omane Boamah, the environment minister, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, three other officials and three air force crew.
Ghana held a memorial service on Thursday for those killed in the crash and unveiled a cenotaph in Boamah’s honour.
Like other West African countries, Ghana faces threats from Islamist groups active in the Sahel that have tried to push south from landlocked Burkina Faso and Mali, where they stage frequent deadly attacks.
