KEY POINTS
- Ghana state funeral for helicopter crash victims begins in Accra.
- Thousands attend ceremony to honour eight fallen patriots.
- National mourning deepens after Adansi tragedy.
Ghana came to a standstill Friday as the country paid its final respects to eight public servants killed in a helicopter crash last week in the Ashanti Region. The solemn state funeral, held at the Forecourt of the State House in Accra, drew top government officials, military brass, bereaved families, and thousands of citizens determined to honor their sacrifice.
The victims died on August 6 while en route to Obuasi for the launch of the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP).
Ghana state funeral for helicopter crash victims
Those killed include Defence Minister Edward Kofi Omane Boamah; Environment Minister and Tamale Central MP Murtala Mohammed; Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Muniru Mohammed Limuna; and Samuel Sarpong, vice chairman of the National Democratic Congress.
They are joined in death by Samuel Aboagye, deputy director-general of the National Disaster Management Organisation; Squadron Leader Peter Anala; Flying Officer Twum Ampadu; and Sergeant Ernest Addo — all of the Ghana Air Force. Two of the victims, Dr Murtala Mohammed and Muniru Mohammed Limuna, were buried earlier under Islamic rites at the Military Cemetery in Burma Camp.
President John Dramani Mahama, calling the crash “unpredictable and violent,” urges citizens to channel grief into unity. “We must not only mourn as one but commit to healing as one,” he tells mourners.
Military honours and national unity at farewell
According to MyJoyOnline, the ceremony, led by the Ghana Armed Forces, features Qur’an recitations, tributes, and a burial service. Six of the fallen will be interred later at the Military Cemetery at Tse Addo, near Burma Camp.
Flags have flown at half-mast since the tragedy, and nationwide vigils have reinforced the collective mourning. Security agencies have assured robust measures to protect mourners as thousands turned out to witness the final salute to men whose patriotism, service, and ultimate sacrifice will be woven into Ghana’s modern history.
