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President John Dramani Mahama has pledged to establish a dedicated fund to secure the future of the children left behind by the eight individuals who perished in the August 6 Ghana Air Force helicopter crash.
The announcement came on Tuesday, August 12, during the funeral rites of the late Deputy National Security Coordinator, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, one of the high-profile casualties of the disaster.
The Harbin Z-9 helicopter went down en route to Obuasi in the Ashanti Region, killing all on board.
Speaking with deep emotion, President Mahama stated the need to shield the dependents of the deceased from hardship, citing the particularly poignant case of the two-month-old infant of Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, the helicopter’s pilot.
“This is a difficult calamity. Those who died were at the peak of their careers, with many still raising children, some even with newborns,” he said. “We must take on their responsibilities to ensure these innocent children do not suffer because of the loss of their parents.”
The President announced that full details of the fund will be shared during a state funeral scheduled for Friday, August 15, at which contributions from the public will also be accepted.
The fund will be used primarily to cover the education and long-term welfare of the victims’ children.
The crash claimed the lives of senior government figures, including Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah and Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.
Others lost in the tragedy were Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator; Samuel Aboagye, former parliamentary candidate; Samuel Sarpong, NDC Vice Chairman; and crew members Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mens.
