Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, the Member of Parliament for Tamale Central and Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, will be buried this morning in his hometown of Tamale.
He died on Wednesday, August 6, in a helicopter crash that claimed the lives of seven other government officials and security personnel.
The crash occurred in the Adansi area of the Ashanti Region. Among the victims were Minister for Defence Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Limuna Muniru Mohammed, and NDC National Vice Chairman Dr Samuel Sarpong. Also killed were Mr Samuel Aboagye, Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flight Officer Manaen Twum Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
He had a long and active career in public service and politics. A former teacher, he rose through the ranks of the National Democratic Congress and served as an MP for both the Nanton and Tamale Central constituencies. He was also a member of key parliamentary committees, including Public Accounts and Trade and Industry.
His journey in national politics began in 2009 when President John Evans Atta Mills appointed him deputy national coordinator of the National Youth Employment Programme. He later became a deputy minister and served as an MP for the Nanton constituency after winning the 2012 election.
Though he lost the seat in 2016, Dr Mohammed returned to Parliament in 2020 as MP for Tamale Central and retained the seat in the 2024 elections.
He was serving as Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation at the time of his death.
Dr Mohammed was known for his strong views, outspokenness, and deep ties to the Northern Region, where he was born and raised.
He attended Ghana Senior High School in Tamale and trained as a teacher at Tamale College of Education.
He later earned advanced degrees in development planning, international relations, and diplomacy from KNUST and the University of Ghana.
Tributes have been pouring in from colleagues across the political divide, many describing him as passionate, principled, and committed to public service.
He is survived by his wife and children.
