Alban Bagbin
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, and the leadership of the House paid their final respect to the victims of the August 6 helicopter crash at their state burial held on today.
Expressing his sorrow at the loss of the victims, Speaker Bagbin described them as “Eight radiant stars” whose light was dimmed by death’s cruel hands. With a heavy heart, he expressed gratitude that these eight great individuals graced the country with their presence.
He added that the men were an embodiment of Ghana’s highest aspirations, as each meant a lot to their families and the country at large.
“These gallant men were the very embodiment of Ghana’s highest aspirations. The way the loving hands that cradled children, the wise voices that guided families, the charitable hands that fed families and whole communities, the compassionate hearts that uplifted our dear country,” he said.
Describing how fleeting life can be, he noted that many of these men had been together with them, united in grief to bid farewell to the former chairman of the Greater Accra Regional wing of the National Democratic Congress, Joseph Kobina Ade Coker, and Sam Pee Yalley stating that none of them had expected their demise to be right after.
“Just days ago, many of these fallen heroes stood among us united in grief as we bid farewell to our dear friends and comrades Kobina Ade Coker and Sam Pee Yalley. Like us, these fallen heroes came to honour the memory of their compatriots and to say goodbye to their cherished comrades. None of them imagined then that their end would follow hard on the heels of Ade Coker and Sam Yalley,” he added.
Again, he expressed sorrow at the loss of these great men and urged that we should all collectively remember they were great men who served the country diligently and were dedicated to the very end.
“Let us take cognisance of the fact that they were once ministers, gallant soldiers, whose visionary policies sowed seeds of progress. That we once had technocrats whose expertise steered our nation’s course. Whose intervention sparkled with insight, and that three courageous helicopter crew members once existed who served with diligent dedication,” he stated.
The speaker of Parliament added that these men will forever be remembered for the lives they touched, the policies they championed, the institutions they strengthened and the hope they inspired. Mr. Bagbin prayed that God would hold these heroes in His bosom and that they rest in peace.
By Vera Owusu Sarpong