Lawyer Edudzi Kudzo Tamekloe, Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and Director of Legal Affairs for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has dismissed suggestions that inexperience on the part of the crew was a factor in the recent military helicopter crash that claimed the lives of eight Ghanaians.
In a strongly worded statement, Mr. Tamekloe emphasised that all three fallen officers were highly trained, vastly experienced, and fully competent in their respective roles.
According to him, “none of the three Air Force personnel had fewer than five years of service,” directly countering public claims that the Flying Officer on board had only recently graduated from training.
Clarifying the facts, Mr. Tamekloe stated that the Flying Officer was commissioned in 2021, which means he had “over five years of flying experience.”
He added that Squadron Leader Alana, who was also on board, had been commissioned on 17 October 2013 and had accumulated 13 years of service in the Air Force. The third victim, a Sergeant, was commissioned in 2012 and had 14 years of engineering experience.
“A Squadron Leader ranks above a Flight Lieutenant and below a Wing Commander. A Flying Officer ranks above a Pilot Officer and below a Flight Lieutenant.”
Lawyer Edudzi Kudzo Tamekloe
He stressed that these positions reflected significant levels of training and responsibility. “It is, therefore, incorrect to suggest that the chopper was left in the hands of amateurs,” he asserted.
Calls for Sensitiveness
Mr. Tamekloe further appealed to the public to show empathy when discussing the incident, saying, “Let us be sensitive and respect the immediate families of these fallen men.”
He urged commentators to avoid making speculative statements that could tarnish the reputations of the deceased or cause further pain to their relatives.
Echoing these sentiments, aviation commentator Charles MacCarthy described the claims of inexperience as “greatly unfair” to the memory of the officers.
He said it was deeply unjust for anyone to “ignorantly suggest inexperience on the part of these men,” noting that they had dedicated their careers to safeguarding the country, often under dangerous circumstances.
MacCarthy particularly highlighted the distinguished career of Squadron Leader Alana, calling him “one of the country’s top experts on aircraft crash investigations.”
Drawing a parallel to the legal profession, he remarked that if Squadron Leader Alana were a lawyer, “he is qualified to be a High Court judge” — a measure of his expertise and standing in his field.
The accident, which shocked the nation, has sparked widespread discussion on the circumstances leading to the crash. While investigations are ongoing, both Tamekloe and MacCarthy warned against premature conclusions that attribute the tragedy to human error without evidence.
They emphasised that the Ghana Air Force operates under strict training, maintenance, and operational protocols, which ensure that only competent personnel are assigned to critical missions.
Mr. Tamekloe’s intervention appears aimed at protecting the integrity of the Air Force’s reputation and shielding the grieving families from what he considers to be unsubstantiated and damaging public commentary.
His comments also highlight the high professional standards within the Air Force, where officers rise through the ranks after years of training, operational missions, and specialist courses, often in collaboration with international military partners.
For many, the statements by Tamekloe and McCarthy serve as a reminder that military service — particularly in aviation — is a career marked by sacrifice, skill, and constant risk.
The fallen officers, they argue, deserve recognition for their years of dedicated service rather than speculation that undermines their contributions.In the meantime, the focus for many remains on honouring the lives lost and providing support to the families left behind.
For Mr. Tamekloe and others, this means resisting the urge to draw hasty conclusions and instead waiting for the findings of the investigative team, which is expected to present a comprehensive account of the incident.
“Let us not add to the pain of the families by spreading inaccuracies,” Mr. Tamekloe cautioned, underscoring his call for sensitivity, truth, and respect in the national conversation surrounding the crash.
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