Ghana Minister Details Political Recruitment of Late Defence Chief
Ghana's Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has disclosed his instrumental role in recruiting the late Dr Edward Omane Boamah to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), revealing the personal nature of their political relationship.
Speaking during funeral rites held on December 14, 2025, Iddrisu explained how he facilitated Dr Omane Boamah's transition from the opposition New Patriotic Party to the NDC through established party networks.
Strategic Party Recruitment
"I personally broke down for many reasons, because it was a personal loss. Indeed, I identified and recruited Dr Omane Boamah for Uncle Ato and the NDC. That's how personal my relationship with him was," Iddrisu stated in a tribute video.
The education minister revealed he connected Dr Omane Boamah with Ato Ahwoi, a senior NDC figure tasked with recruiting political talent for the party during the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills' administration.
Iddrisu further disclosed his role in encouraging Dr Omane Boamah's mother to return from New York to support her son's political career, recognising his potential for ministerial positions including his eventual appointment as Defence Minister.
Political Dedication
According to Iddrisu, Dr Omane Boamah's primary political objective was ensuring President John Dramani Mahama's return to office, describing him as a strategic thinker whose contributions were instrumental to the NDC's electoral success.
Ato Ahwoi confirmed these accounts, explaining how the late Professor Mills had assigned him to recruit former student union presidents, leading to his introduction to Dr Omane Boamah through Iddrisu's recommendation.
The August Tragedy
Dr Omane Boamah perished alongside seven others in a helicopter crash on August 6, 2025, while travelling to launch a mining development programme in the Ashanti Region. The Ghana Air Force aircraft went down in the Dampa Range Forest Reserve near Sikaman.
The victims included senior government officials and military personnel, all of whom received state funeral honours before burial.
The disclosure of these recruitment details provides insight into Ghana's political networks and the personal relationships that shape party membership transitions in the West African nation's democratic system.