In what many are calling a miraculous twist of fate, President John Dramani Mahama narrowly escaped being aboard the military helicopter that tragically crashed on Wednesday, August 6, killing several top government and military officials. Now, Rev. Dr. Stephen Y. Wengam, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Ghana has shared a dramatic behind-the-scenes account that is stirring conversations about divine intervention and the power of prayer.
Rev. Dr. Stephen Y. Wengam, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Ghana, recounted the events during a recent church gathering, where he detailed a series of calls, prayers, and last-minute changes that ultimately kept the President off the ill-fated flight.
“People have been calling and posting on social media saying, ‘Assemblies of God, thank you for saving our President’s life.’ But it’s not about applause,” Rev. Wengam told the congregation. “This is why every pastor must be spiritually alert—you must be prophetic. You don’t need to carry the title of prophet to discern.”
According to him, the sequence began the week before the crash when the President’s Secretary, Dr. Callistus Mahama, informed him that President Mahama would be unable to attend a scheduled Assemblies of God event. Instead, the President had been invited to Côte d’Ivoire as a special guest of honour for their Independence Day celebration. In his place, the Vice President and First Lady, Lordina Mahama, would attend the church event.
Although this explanation appeared reasonable, Rev. Wengam said he was unsettled by the change. Feeling something was not right, he called Rev. Bawa, one of his associates, and asked him to mobilize a prayer team to intercede.
“I said, ‘Reverend Bawa, I don’t accept it. Go and mobilise the prayer team and pray. Reverse it,’” Wengam recounted, stressing his discomfort.
That same Monday, upon arriving late for a program, Rev. Wengam received a furious call from the First Lady. She was unhappy about the President’s decision to skip the event.
“She said, ‘Pastor, the President says he’s going to Côte d’Ivoire, but no—we are coming for this program. We have planned this long ago. No way.’ It was a battle on the phone,” Wengam recalled. “Then while I was still speaking with her, the President was calling. I told her, ‘Mama, the President is calling. I’m going off.’”
President Mahama then personally explained his scheduling conflict, but Rev. Wengam remained uneasy. “I said, ‘Your Excellency, I understand—your will be done.’”
Later that day, a message from the First Lady would change the course of events entirely.
“She texted and said, ‘We are coming on Wednesday, so the President can travel on Thursday.’ That’s how it was averted,” Rev. Wengam revealed, adding that the President’s travel plans were rescheduled just in time.
While Rev. Wengam did not specify whether the President was originally meant to be on the helicopter that crashed en route to Obuasi, the proximity of the event and the timing of the change in plans have fueled speculation and awe.
In his concluding remarks, Rev. Wengam challenged pastors to take their spiritual responsibilities seriously.
“When the speaker says we must be prophetic, it means every pastor must be prayerful and vigilant. This comes from spending hours in prayer—not just Monday morning or Saturday before you preach.”
