President John Dramani Mahama and First lady Lordina Mahama have escaped what could have been a fatal accident after the helicopter in which they were flying from Sunyani to Kumasi, embarked on a “precautionary landing,” the Ghana Armed Forces confirmed to Citi News.
The incident happened about 100 metres away from the Apatrapa Government Hospital in the Ashanti Region.
[contextly_sidebar id=”tIccdlfwkgNAkRVtA5OtiOtqKYItes12″]Confirming the incident to Citi News Lt. Col Aggrey Quarshie, the Director of Public Relations at the Ghana Armed Forces stated that the pilot’s decision to land the helicopter was because of “bad weather.”
“There was a storm approaching, so in order to safeguard the first family the pilot decided to embark on a precautionary landing,” he explained.
Lt. Col Aggrey Quarshie added that “nothing happened to the M17 helicopter and there were no injuries.”
He also told Citi News that armed security men including police and “military cordoned off the area where the helicopter landed” and “the first family was immediately transported by road to Kumasi”.
Citi News also understands that President Mahama and his wife are safe and sound in Accra now.
President Mahama and his wife were returning to join the Presidential jet at the Kumasi Airport after returning from the funeral of the chairperson of Council of State Cecilia Johnson’s mother.
In March this year, the Presidential Jet caught fire while attempting to take off at the Kotoka International Airport.
The Falcon 900, had been tasked to perform a special mission in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
Before that, on December 5, the Presidential jet Mahama was travelling on developed a technical fault which caused his late attendance to the 30th National Farmers Day celebrations in the Western Region.
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By: Raymond Acquah/citifmonline.com/Ghana