The Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, has been reassigned as Ghana’s substantive Minister for Defence, a day after the first anniversary of the military helicopter crash that claimed the life of Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah and several other government officials.
The reassignment follows President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to appoint Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson as Acting Defence Minister in the immediate aftermath of the August 6, 2025 helicopter crash to ensure continuity at the Defence Ministry.
Following Dr. Omane Boamah’s death, the prolonged absence of a substantive Defence Minister became a subject of political debate, with the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) raising concerns over the vacancy.
The party argued that the Defence Ministry is a critical national security institution and called on the government to appoint a substantive minister to provide stable leadership.
In a statement signed by the Minister for Government Communications and Presidential Spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Presidency announced that Mr. Adjei had been reassigned to head the Ministry of Defence as part of a ministerial reshuffle..
According to the statement, the reassignment forms part of changes made by President Mahama to ensure the effective functioning of key government ministries.
The announcement, made in accordance with Article 78(1) of the 1992 Constitution, also included the nomination of Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings as Minister-designate for the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, Mahama Ayariga as Minister-designate for the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, and the reassignment of Ahmed Ibrahim to the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources.
