Correspondence from Western region
The Lower Axim Traditional Council has joined the President, government, families and the people of Ghana to mourn two Ministers of State and six others in the Z-9 helicopter crash which claimed the lives of all eight on board.
Paramount Chief of the Lower Axim Traditional Council, Awulae Attibrukusu III who announced the incident during a Traditional Council meeting in Axim, led the house in observing a-one-minute silence for the fallen heroes.
He paid special tribute to the memories of Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, Minister of Defence and Dr Alhaji Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology among six others who lost their lives in a tragic helicopter crash from Accra en route to Obuasi to launch the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (COMSDEP).
Awulae Attibrukusu III paid special tribute to the two Ministers of State as workaholics who took the bull by the horns in the fight against illegal mining.
He said it was quite an unfortunate incident at a time government was going to find a better alternative to sustainable livelihoods to abate the galamsey nuisance in the country.
He observed that it was in pursuit of fighting the galamsey menace which sent the two Ministers of State and the other six on board the helicopter to face such a tragedy.
The Paramount Chief used the occasion to warn the youth and those involved in galamsey to put a stop to it as the fight cause government millions of cedis.
Awulae Attibrukusu III pleaded with government and technocrats to renew travelling equipment and conduct regular maintenance on transport machinery.
He also advised professionals who travel with the President, Ministers of State and government officials to always examine the means of transport and give technical advice to avert calamities.
The Paramount Chief prayed to God to forgive the shortcomings of the departed souls and grant them mercy.
Awulae also prayed to well-endowed Ghanaians and philanthropists to take care of the widows and children left behind by the fallen heroes.