Minister of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has paid his respects to Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, who was among the victims of the helicopter crash.
Kwakye Ofosu thanked Dr. Omane Boamah for the impact he had on his life.
In a Facebook post ahead of the final state funeral for the victims, he wrote:
“Fare thee well, my brother. Our 20-year journey as friends and brothers may have come to an abrupt and tragic end, but your memory will live with me forever. Thank you so much for impacting my life the way you did.”
The state funeral for the victims of the helicopter crash will be held today, Friday, August 15, in Accra. The government has announced detailed plans for the event.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, August 14, Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations, Stan Dogbey, said the ceremony will be primarily a military service led by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and divided into three main parts.
“The service will largely be a military one, conducted by the Ghana Armed Forces, and there will be three parts to the funeral programme. We will have the three burial services, during which some tributes will be read, and there will be Quran recitations during that period.
The second part will be the main funeral and burial service. The pre-burial will start at 7:30 a.m. and continue until 9:00 a.m. We expect the Vice President to arrive at the funeral grounds at 8:50 a.m., followed by the President at 9:00 a.m., when the state service will begin.
The service is scheduled to last approximately three hours, during which we will present the biographies of the eight departed colleagues, followed by tributes from widows, children, and senior government officials. Institutional tributes from organisations our departed comrades worked with or were associated with will be read during the pre-burial period before 9:00 a.m.,” he said.
Mr. Dogbey added that after the state service, the bodies of the six victims yet to be buried would be taken to the military cemetery at Tse Addo for interment.
“After the service, the bodies of the six who are yet to be buried will be conveyed to the military cemetery at Tse Addo for burial. The GAF, together with the churches of the six departed comrades, will take charge of the ceremony there,” he explained.
He also noted that due to the large number of people expected, measures have been taken to ensure a solemn ceremony.
“For the media present here, you will have seen the ongoing setup. We are doing our best to provide as many chairs as possible to accommodate the thousands expected to join the families and government officials for the service.
The various canopies will be clearly labelled to accommodate attendees. We encourage the public to arrive early and cooperate with protocol and security officials. Mourners are expected to remain under the canopies during the service, as the inner perimeter will be closed. The labelling on the canopies will indicate where people should sit.”
Security will be heavily deployed for the safety of mourners.
“There will be a heavy security presence, not only because the President and Vice President will attend, but also for the safety of all mourners. We ask the public to cooperate with security officers regarding entry, parking, and movement. Drivers will be required to alight at a designated point and walk into the mourning zone, with vehicles parked in designated areas,” he said.
Mr. Dogbey also announced transportation plans to the cemetery.
“Buses will be provided to transport families and a few others to the military cemetery. This is to reduce traffic en route and manage congestion at the cemetery.”
Regarding media arrangements, he confirmed that only accredited journalists will be granted access to certain areas.
“Media houses and journalists who applied for and received accreditation will be the only ones allowed into the inner perimeter, designated as the special media zone. This accreditation is only for camera operators, videographers, and photographers. Reporters and others will not be allowed inside.”
The burial ceremony for the two Muslim victims of the crash — former Minister for Environment Dr. Ibrahim Muhammed Murtala and former Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Muniru Limuna Mohammed — was held at the Forecourt of the State House on Sunday, August 10.
