{"id":133476,"date":"2015-07-11T09:47:22","date_gmt":"2015-07-11T09:47:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=133476"},"modified":"2015-07-11T14:32:27","modified_gmt":"2015-07-11T14:32:27","slug":"mahama-first-lady-escape-death-after-helicopter-precautionary-landing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2015\/07\/mahama-first-lady-escape-death-after-helicopter-precautionary-landing\/","title":{"rendered":"Mahama, First Lady escape accident after helicopter ‘precautionary’ landing"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The incident happened about 100 metres away from the Apatrapa Government Hospital in the Ashanti Region.<\/p>\n [contextly_sidebar id=”tIccdlfwkgNAkRVtA5OtiOtqKYItes12″]Confirming the incident to Citi News<\/strong> 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.”<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a storm approaching, so in order to safeguard the first family the pilot decided to embark on a precautionary landing,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n Lt. Col Aggrey Quarshie added that \u201cnothing happened to the M17 helicopter and there were no injuries.\u201d<\/p>\n He also told Citi News<\/strong> that armed security men including police and \u201cmilitary cordoned off the area where the helicopter landed\u201d and \u201cthe first family was immediately transported by road to Kumasi\u201d.<\/p>\n Citi News<\/strong> also understands that President Mahama and his wife are safe and sound in Accra now.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s mother.<\/p>\n In March this year, the Presidential Jet caught fire while attempting to take off<\/a><\/strong><\/span> at the Kotoka International Airport.<\/p>\n The Falcon 900, had been tasked to perform a special mission in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.<\/p>\n