By Francis Kobena Tandoh
The government and people of Ghana held a national inter-faith memorial service in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, on Thursday to honor eight officials who perished in a helicopter crash a year ago.
The inter-faith service had leaders of various religious groups in the West African country who shared encouraging words and prayers to comfort the relatives and friends of the departed.
Ghanaian president John Dramani Mahama paid tribute to the victims for their dedication and sacrifice, stressing that their contributions to the country will be remembered.
“The eight Ghanaians we honor today come from diverse backgrounds and yet they were united by one purpose: to serve God and country. They set out to perform their duties; Ghana will continue to remember them,” said Mahama.
On Aug. 6 last year, a Ghana Air Force Harbin Z-9 helicopter, carrying eight people to an event about fighting illegal mining, crashed into a forested mountainside in the Ashanti region (province), killing all eight on board.
Among the victims were the then-defense minister, Edward Omane Boamah; environment minister Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed; three other government officials; and three military officers.
The helicopter’s wreckage was found later, with all of the victims being burnt beyond recognition in a post-crash fire. The flight recorder of the helicopter was recovered by a team of investigators a day after the crash. Enditem
Source: Ghana Eye Report
