Acting Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, has called on Ghanaians to honour the memory of the eight people who perished in last Wednesday’s helicopter crash by committing themselves to the highest service to the nation.
Speaking after laying a wreath in tribute to the victims, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie described the disaster as a devastating loss that had claimed the lives of some of the country’s most dedicated figures.
He urged the public to resist the temptation to politicise the incident, stressing that it should instead serve as a unifying moment.
“These brave men died in the line of duty. Their passing should inspire us to stand together as one nation, not divide us,” he said. “Let us draw on the legacy they leave behind and dedicate ourselves to working for Ghana with all our strength.”
The crash claimed the lives of eight people, including two cabinet ministers and three members of the Ghana Armed Forces.
The aircraft, which took off from Accra at 9:12 a.m. on Wednesday bound for Obuasi, was carrying officials to the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP). It lost radar contact shortly after departure and, according to witnesses, burst into flames on impact near Sikaman in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region.
Those who died were:
- Dr Edward Omane Boamah – Minister for Defence
- Alhaji Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed – Minister for Environment, Science, and Technology, and MP for Tamale Central
- Alhaji Muniru Mohammed – Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator
- Dr Samuel Sarpong – Vice Chairman, National Democratic Congress (NDC)
- Samuel Aboagye – Former Parliamentary Candidate
- Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala – Pilot
- Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu – Co-pilot
- Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah – Crew member
