National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has said the party and government would have undone the August 6 helicopter disaster if it were within their power.
Addressing mourners at the final funeral rites of the late acting National Deputy Security Coordinator, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna—one of the eight who perished in the crash—Mr Asiedu Nketiah described the incident as an irreparable national tragedy.
“If there were anything that the NDC, whether in government or as a party, could have done to reverse this calamity, it would certainly have been done,” he said.
“But sadly, no effort of ours can restore Honourable Limuna to life.”
He observed the outpouring of grief across the political divide and urged that national attention now turn to the families who have been left behind.
He reminded mourners that President John Mahama had directed the creation of a fund to provide for the dependants of the victims.
“What should now occupy our thoughts is how to ensure that the families left behind are supported.”
“That is why His Excellency the President instructed the establishment of a fund to care for the dependants of all who lost their lives in the August 6 tragedy,” he explained.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah further appealed for unity, stressing that the sense of solidarity displayed at the funeral ought to be preserved.
He said the gathering should mark not only a tribute to the fallen, but also a fresh chapter for northern cohesion and national cooperation.
The crash, which occurred in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region, claimed the lives of senior government officials, including Defence Minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, NDC Vice-Chairman Samuel Sarpong, former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye, and three military personnel who were manning the aircraft.
The funeral of Limuna, who also reigned as Sandape-Wura Buwulonso I, brought thousands of mourners to Damongo on Sunday, among them traditional leaders, government representatives, political figures, and members of the diplomatic community.