By: Ruth Serwaa Asare
Ghana came to a standstill on Friday, August 15, 2025, as the state held a solemn burial service for the six remaining victims of the tragic helicopter crash that claimed eight lives on August 6. The ceremony, held at the Black Star Square, drew dignitaries, families and citizens in a united moment of mourning.
The eight included Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Environment Minister Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Mohammed-Muniru Limuna, Vice Chairman of the NDC Dr. Samuel Sarpong, NADMO Deputy DG Samuel Aboagye, and three Ghana Armed Forces officers. Two of the victims, both Muslims, had earlier been laid to rest, with the remaining six interred today.
Tributes poured in from widows, children, colleagues, and state officials. In a moving tribute, Mrs. Rita Omane Boamah described her late husband as “a family man, a genuine person with a pure heart of gold,” while their children called him “our safe place, our teacher, and our hero.”
President John Dramani Mahama, who delivered the final tribute, hailed the deceased as patriots who paid the ultimate price in the line of duty. “They were gallant sons of Ghana who lived and died serving our nation. Their courage, humility and sacrifice must inspire us to put Ghana first in all we do,” he said. He added, “We weep today, but we also celebrate lives well lived lives that will continue to speak long after they are gone.”
The service, attended by Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, the Chief Justice, clergy, and service chiefs, was marked by military honours and interfaith prayers.
The state burial underscored the profound national loss, as the eight were laid to rest with full honours remembered not only for their service but also for the enduring legacy of sacrifice they left behind.
President John Dramani Mahama announced posthumous promotions for the three Ghana Armed Forces personnel who died in the August 6, 2025 helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District. He described the gesture as the highest mark of respect for “duty performed even unto death.”
The President also confirmed that the civilian colleagues who died in the crash will be honoured at the next National Honours Ceremony.
President Mahama has also launched a Children’s Support Fund to secure the education, healthcare, and welfare of the children of the eight victims of the August 6, 2025, helicopter crash, with Stanbic Bank contributing ₵500,000 as the first deposit.
The eight were on official duty when they tragically lost their lives in a helicopter crash at Adansi Akrofuom in the Ashanti Region
