President John Mahama has announced that the state will take responsibility for the welfare of the children of the eight Ghanaians who died in the August 6 helicopter crash in the Ashanti Region.
Speaking at the funeral rites of the late Deputy National Security Coordinator, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, the President emphasised the need to protect the primary dependents of the victims, including the two-month-old baby of pilot Peter Bafemi, from hardship following the tragedy.
He revealed that a special fund would be formally launched during the state funeral on Friday, August 15.
He said, “It’s a difficult calamity, because 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. The pilot’s child is, he has a child two months old. And these responsibilities are what we have to take up to make sure that the absence of the parents does not adversely affect the innocent children.”
“We’ll do a state funeral on Friday the 15th for all of them. And at the funeral, we will announce some programme for creating a fund that will assist with the education of their children. And so on Friday, I’ll announce the details of that, so that persons who want to contribute for the future of the children they’ve left behind would have the opportunity to do so,” Mahama added.
The crash claimed the lives of eight prominent Ghanaians: Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Environment Minister Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, NDC Vice Chairman Dr. Samuel Sarpong, former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye, Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
Two of the victims, both Muslims, were buried on Sunday, August 10, at the Military Cemetery in Accra in accordance with Islamic rites.
The government has announced a state funeral for all eight victims on Friday, August 15, and has opened a public tribute platform for citizens to honour their memory.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
