President John Dramani Mahama has called on Ghanaians to transform the nation’s grief over the tragic military helicopter crash into a renewed commitment to national development.
Speaking at a memorial service on Saturday, President Mahama described the loss of the eight individuals in the August 6 crash as a personal one and urged the country to use the incident as a reminder of the vital work that still needs to be done.
“They would not want us to be paralyzed by sorrow,” the President said during the “Evening of Reflections and Memorial” at the State House. “Instead, they would want us to be inspired to push forward for a stronger, more prosperous Ghana.”
The President’s message served as a powerful call to action, encouraging the nation to channel its sadness into a collective drive for progress, honoring the memories of those who perished by building the Ghana they envisioned.
The president declared a three-day mourning period for the eight victims who died in a helicopter crash, which was climaxed with a night of reflection.
The victims were Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Environment Minister Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Muniru Mohammed, former Obuasi East NDC Parliamentary Candidate Samuel Aboagye, NDC Vice Chairman and former Kumasi Mayor Dr. Samuel Sarpong, and three Ghana Air Force crew members: Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Mane-Twum Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
The victims were on a national assignment to Obuasi when their Ghana Armed Forces Z-9 helicopter crashed in the Adansi-Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region.
Samples from the charred bodies were flown to South Africa for DNA testing to identify them due to severe burns.
President Mahama announced that the identification of the bodies was successful and that two of them—Alhasji Muniru Limuna Mohammed and Dr. Murtala Mohammed—will be buried on Sunday, August 10, 2025, in accordance with Islamic rites.
By: Rainbowradioone.com/Ghana
