A cloud of grief hung over Somanya on Saturday as family, friends and sympathisers gathered at the Methodist Church to bid farewell to two young boys who drowned in a manhole at their home in Abokobi.
The mortal remains of eight year old Jason Teye Mensah and nine year old Nathaniel Ayernor Kofi were laid to rest in an emotional burial service marked by tears, quiet sobs and heartfelt tributes. The two pupils, full of promise and energy, were remembered for their innocence and bright smiles.
Inside the packed church auditorium in Somanya, members of the congregation struggled to contain their emotions as the small coffins were carried in. Parents clutched their children tightly, while relatives wept openly. For many, the pain was still raw, the shock still fresh.
Jason, a Class Two pupil, and Nathaniel, a Class Three pupil, had returned home from school on the day of the incident. When they could not be found in the house hours later, a frantic search began.
After several hours of searching, their lifeless bodies were discovered in a manhole within their home at about 6 pm on Thursday. The tragic discovery sent shockwaves through Abokobi and the wider Somanya community.
The boys are the children of Manye Dede Addo Teye I, Developmental Queen Mother of the Plau Division in the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area. The loss has not only devastated the immediate family but also deeply affected the traditional area and the community at large.
Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service in Somanya were called to the scene and pumped water out of the manhole to retrieve the bodies. The remains were later conveyed to the Yilo Krobo District Hospital for preservation and autopsy.
The Somanya District Police Commander, Superintendent Kingsley Abrokwa, who visited the scene as part of investigations, confirmed the incident.
As the final prayers were said at the Methodist Church, Somanya, the congregation stood in silence, many wiping tears from their eyes. The burial service marked the beginning of the boys’ final journey, a journey no parent ever wishes for their child.
In the quiet that followed, one message echoed through the church, a plea for comfort for the grieving family and eternal rest for the young souls lost too soon.
