Defence minister Edward Omane Boamah, environment minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed and six other people, including senior political figures and the air force crew, died in the crash on Wednesday.

“The Ghana armed forces has initiated a full and transparent investigation into the circumstances of this crash,” Mahama said in a televised address.

He said the flight data and cockpit voice recorders have been recovered and a special “board of enquiry has been set up to investigate the cause of the crash”.

The air force chopper disappeared from radars shortly after departing Accra en route to Obuasi in southern Ghana.

All eight bodies have been recovered and a state funeral will be held on August 15, said Mahama.

“We’ve lost some of our nation’s brightest minds in a moment of shared heartbreak,” the president added.

Mahama has suspended all scheduled activities for the rest of the week and declared three days of mourning starting Thursday with all flags to be flown at half-mast.