President John Mahama has announced the creation of a dedicated fund to support the children of the eight victims of the tragic helicopter crash on August 6.
The President made this emotional announcement while attending the funeral rites of the late Deputy National Security Coordinator, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna. The tragic accident, which claimed the lives of all eight people on board the Ghana Air Force Harbin Z-9 helicopter, led to the government’s decision to offer assistance.
President Mahama emphasized the need to protect the victims’ dependents, particularly focusing on the two-month-old child of the military pilot, Peter Bafemi. During his address on Tuesday, August 12, he highlighted the profound loss and the responsibilities now faced by the government and citizens.
“It’s a difficult calamity. These individuals were in the prime of their lives, with families, children in school, and infants as young as two months… We must ensure that the absence of the parents does not affect the children,” said President Mahama. The President confirmed a state funeral will be held on Friday, August 15, where the full details of the fund, aimed at assisting with the children’s education and future welfare, will be officially unveiled.
“At the funeral, we will announce a program for creating a fund that will assist with the education of their children,” Mahama stated, adding that those wishing to contribute to the children’s future would have the opportunity. Among the victims were two cabinet ministers,
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah (Minister for Defence) and Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed (Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation), as well as Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator; Samuel Aboagye, former parliamentary candidate; and Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The helicopter’s crew members were Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah. The group was traveling to Obuasi, Ashanti Region, for an event aimed at combating illegal mining, known as galamsey, when the aircraft went off radar, triggering a search-and-rescue operation that ended in tragedy.
