'Our helicopters are flying coffins' — Ashaiman MP

Ashaiman MP and member of Parliament's Defence and Interior Committee, Ernest Henry Norgbey, has launched a scathing critique of the Ghana Police Service's air fleet, branding its three helicopters as "flying coffins" unfit for use.

In an interview on Joy FM's Newsnite, Norgbey revealed that the aircraft, manufactured in 1976, have been grounded since their arrival. "They cannot be used because they were not fit for purpose... a 1976 aircraft is a flying coffin," he said, stressing that such aging machines are unsafe for modern policing duties.

The matter has gained renewed public attention following last week's tragic military helicopter crash at Adansi Akrofuom, which claimed the lives of eight people, including the Ministers of Defence and Environment.

Norgbey also revisited a 2021 pledge by President Akufo-Addo to procure three new helicopters for the police service. The aircraft, announced in October 2021 and expected to arrive by November of that year, are yet to be delivered. The MP attributed the delay to Ghana's ongoing debt restructuring, saying, "We were made to understand that was due to the debt restructuring."

The absence of functional police helicopters, coupled with the stalled arrival of the promised fleet, has reignited debate over the state of the country's security logistics and the government's ability to equip the police service for rapid response and effective operations.