“Life is Fragile, Every Moment Matters” – Bagbin Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Helicopter Crash Victims

Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has delivered an emotional tribute to the eight victims of the August 6, 2025, military helicopter crash, hailing them as “gallant souls” whose lives embodied Ghana’s highest ideals of service and sacrifice.

Speaking at the burial ceremony at Independence Square on Friday, August 15, Mr. Bagbin described their sudden passing as a “powerful reminder of life’s fragility” and urged Ghanaians to draw lessons from their dedication and legacy.

“Life is fragile, tomorrow is never promised, and every moment matters. As we honour their legacy, may we draw strength and wisdom from the way they lived—and the way they left,” he said.

He extended the condolences of Parliament to the bereaved families, assuring them of the “collective embrace of a nation united in grief,” and prayed for divine comfort and strength to continue the unfinished work of the deceased.

The victims included prominent political leaders and senior military officers:

Dr. Edward Omane Boamah – Minister for Defence

Hon. Alhaji Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed – Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation

Alhaji Limuna Muniru Mohammed – Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator

Dr. Samuel Sarpong – NDC Vice Chairman

Mr. Samuel Aboagye – NDC Parliamentary Candidate for Obuasi East

Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala – posthumously promoted to Wing Commander

Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu – posthumously promoted to Flight Lieutenant

Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah – posthumously promoted to Flight Sergeant

Bagbin reflected on the cruel twist of fate that saw some of these fallen heroes recently join in mourning late comrades Kobina Ade Coker and Sam Pee Yalley, only to meet their own untimely deaths days later.

“These gallant men were once ministers whose visionary policies sowed seeds of progress; technocrats whose expertise steered our nation’s course; a parliamentarian whose interventions sparkled with insight; and three courageous Air Force crew members whose service to Ghana never wavered,” he said.

The Speaker laid “fragrant blossoms of memorabilia” in honour of their impactful lives, noting that while their mortal forms have been claimed by the heavens, “their legacy remains etched in the laws they championed, the institutions they strengthened, the lives they transformed, and the hope they inspired.”

The ceremony concluded with full military honours, as the nation bade farewell to its fallen servants.