Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has assured Ghanaians that the country’s defence sector remains stable despite the continued absence of a substantive defence minister months after President John Dramani Mahama indicated one would be appointed.

In a viral video shared on X and sighted by GhanaWeb on May 19, 2026, Kwakye Ofosu said government operations and the country’s defence architecture had continued to function effectively under the current arrangement.

According to him, the authority to appoint a defence minister rests entirely with the president, who will act when he considers it necessary.

“Any day that the president communicates to me that he has appointed a defence minister, I’ll make it known to you,” he said.

The government spokesperson rejected suggestions that the unusual delay had created instability within the Ministry, insisting there had been no setbacks in national defence operations.

Kwakye Ofosu reacts to calls for substantive defence minister to be appointed

“But I think that by and large, we have held the fort, and the government has functioned effectively. There’s not been any lapses, as far as I know, in terms of Ghana’s defence architecture,” he stated.

Kwakye Ofosu also highlighted what he described as improvements in the sector, including efforts to strengthen the military through retooling and equipment acquisition.

“Indeed, things appear to be improving on that front because they are acquiring additional firepower in terms of their equipment and retooling, and all that is going quite well,” he said.

Kwakye Ofosu maintained that the ministry remained under capable leadership.

The Minister of Defence position remains vacant as a result of the death of Dr Edward Omane Boamah in the helicopter crash on August 6, 2025.

Ghana Air Force Harbin Z-9 helicopter carrying eight people to an event about fighting illegal mining crashed into a forested mountainside in the Ashanti region of Ghana, killing all eight people on board.

Among the dead were Ghana's defence minister Edward Omane Boamah and environment minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.

Watch the video below

What is the exact problem at the Defence Ministry? None - Felix Kwakye Ofosu on the absence of a substantive Defence Minister.https://t.co/OpvB6gIWfD#JoyNews | #PMExpress pic.twitter.com/qlZpNPPm5U

— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) May 18, 2026