By Edward Acquah
Accra, Aug. 14, GNA – Ghana will on Friday pause in grief and unity to bid final farewell to the eight patriots who died in a tragic helicopter crash at Adansi in the Ashanti Region last Wednesday.
A solemn state funeral will be held at the Forecourt of the State House in Accra at 0730 hours, bringing together the nation’s leadership, the bereaved families, and citizens from all walks of life to honour their memory.
The eight heroes lost their lives in the line of duty when their helicopter went down en route to the launch of the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) in Obuasi, on August 6, 2025.
The accident claimed the lives of Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, Minister of Defence; Alhaji Dr Murtala Mohammed, Member of Parliament for Tamale Central and Minister of Environment, Science, and Technology, Alhaji Muniru Mohammed Limuna, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator; and Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress.
The rest were Samuel Aboagye, Deputy Director-General of National Disaster Management Organisation, Squadron Leader Peter Anala of the Ghana Air Force, Flying Officer Twum Ampadu of the Ghana Air Force, and Sergeant Ernest Addo of the Ghana Air Force.
The State, on August 10, held an Islamic State burial for the late Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Murtala, and Alhaji Muniru Limuna Mohammed. Their bodies were interred at the Military Cemetery at Burma Camp.
The passing of the eight compatriots stirred a wave of national mourning and reflection.
With flags flying at half mast, institutions and groups bearing direct relationship with the victims have held separate vigils and ceremonies to honour their memories.
The nation ended three-days of national mourning with a memorial ceremony in honour of the eight heroes at the forecourt of the State House last Saturday evening.
President John Dramani Mahama has rallied the nation to move from grieving to accepting the loss, and described the crash as unpredictable and violent.
He urged the nation to transform the sorrow into a catalyst for action and dedication to the ideals the eight compatriots stood for.
The victims of the crash served Ghana with their last breath and, thus, it was the sacred duty of every Ghanaian to continue that service to build the “Ghana we wanted,” the President said.
“We must not only mourn as one but commit to healing as one.”
Friday’s national farewell is expected to be a sombre reflection on the lives and legacies of the eight patriots and reaffirm the nation’s appreciation to the sacrifices of the departed souls and unite the country beyond mourning to building resilience.
Announcing arrangements for the state funeral at a press conference on Thursday, Mr Stan Dogbey, the Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations, said the funeral would be largely military service under the auspices of the Ghana Armed Forces.
“The service will largely be a military service; it will be conducted by the Ghana Armed Forces and there will be three parts to the funeral programme.”
“We will have the pre-burial service during which period some tributes will be read. We will have Qu’ran recitations during that period.”
“And the second part will be the main funerals and burial service,” he said.
The bodies of the six other victims would be interred at the Military Cemetery at Tse Addo, near Burma Camp after the burial service, Mr Dogbey added.
Thousands of sympathisers are expected to join the ceremony as the nation paid her last respect to the eight fallen heroes whose patriotism would be remembered in the nation’s history.
The Government has assured that adequate security measures were in place to guarantee the safety of mourners.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe