“In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.”-Greek poet Aeschylus
There are moments in life when loss and tragedy cannot be fully expressed in words. Their meaning is carried instead by the silent language of the heart, mind, and spirit. We mourn, we grieve, we lament, and we cannot forget. This week, our nation has been shaken. Families are bereaved. No one expected that a short journey from Accra to Obuasi would end in such heartbreak. A journey meant to serve the nation became the final chapter in the lives of eight dedicated Ghanaians.
They left home in the morning, said goodbye to their families, and never returned. The pain is almost too heavy to bear.
We mourn Dr. Edward Omane Boamah – Minister for Defence, Dr. Alhaji Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed – Member of Parliament for Tamale Central and Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Alhaji Muniru Mohammed – Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, Dr. Samuel Sarpong – Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Samuel Aboagye – Former Parliamentary Candidate, Sergeant Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah
These men were on their way to represent the President at the launch of the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rComdsep) in Obuasi. This programme aimed to bring order to small-scale mining and tackle the menace of illegal mining. They died in the service of that mission.
They loved their nation so much that they often placed national duty above personal comfort. They carried out their work with passion and dedication. One can imagine that even in heaven, their conversations would still be about Ghana and how to make it better.
The nation that sent them to Obuasi did not intend to say goodbye in this way. Yet the final and inevitable truth of life called death has robbed Ghana of their vibrant presence from their families, friends and nation. The grief is deep, the pain sharp, the shock immense.
Our tears may never seem enough to match the magnitude of this loss. But as the Greek poet Aeschylus wrote, “In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.”
We cannot weep forever. We must also celebrate who they were and what they stood for. As Martin Luther King Jr. once wrote, “Death is not evil; what is evil is to be outside God’s purpose and plan for your life.” These noble men found their purpose which was in service to their country, love for their families, and commitment to the public good.
Our political colours and differences should not divide us in moments like this. There is a common bond of humanity that unites us all. The prophet Isaiah envisioned a time when “the lion and the lamb shall lie down together, and none will be afraid.” Rev. Jesse Jackson once explained that even lions and lambs can find common ground, for neither wants the forest to burn or the drought to destroy their home. In the same way, we as a nation must find unity in our shared destiny.
As President John Mahama has said, let us come together and move forward, for the future has no place for a divided and disoriented people. Let’s rally behind their family and the nation as we chart through this foggy moment.
These men have gone to meet their Maker, but their spirit and their works remain with us. They have paid their dues to Mother Ghana. They have left footprints of dedication and sacrifice in the sands of time and in the words of the English poet, Wilfred Owen, “These men are worth your tears.”
By Appiah Kusi Adomako, Esq, CUTS International Accra
