President Mahama Establishes Fund for Children of Helicopter Crash Victims
President John Dramani Mahama has announced the creation of a special fund to support the children of the eight Ghanaians who perished in the August 6 Ghana Air Force helicopter crash.
The President made the emotional declaration during funeral rites for the late Deputy National Security Coordinator, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, one of the high-profile victims of the tragedy.
The Harbin Z-9 helicopter crash, which claimed the lives of all on board, has been described as one of the most devastating aviation disasters in recent memory. Among the dead 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, a former parliamentary candidate; Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the NDC; and three Air Force crew members: Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
Speaking at the ceremony on Tuesday, August 12, President Mahama stressed the urgent need to safeguard the future of the victims’ dependants, citing the case of Squadron Leader Bafemi’s two-month-old child as an example of the vulnerable lives now left behind.
“It’s a difficult calamity. If you look at all those who died, they were at the prime of their lives and had so much responsibility — children still in school, and some even with infants as young as two months. These responsibilities are what we have to take up to ensure that the absence of the parents does not adversely affect the innocent children,” he said.
The President confirmed that a state funeral for all eight victims will be held on Friday, August 15. Full details of the fund will be announced at the event, including mechanisms for public contributions. The fund will be dedicated to financing the children’s education and overall welfare.
The victims were en route to Obuasi in the Ashanti Region to attend an anti-illegal mining (“galamsey”) initiative when the aircraft went off radar. A search-and-rescue operation later confirmed the fatal crash.
President Mahama called on all Ghanaians to rally in support of the bereaved families, saying the tragedy must be met with compassion and collective responsibility.
Source – My News Ghana
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