9 hours ago
'How we handle helicopter crash and deadi body of victims' - Ghana Chief of defence staff tok ahead of State burial
As Ghana prepare to hold ogbonge state funeral for di eight victims of di 6 August military helicopter crash, di kontri chief of defence staff don dey speak for di first time since di tragic accident.
Di funeral go happun on di morning of 15 August for di independence square for di capital Accra wia authorities dey expect thousands of mourners.
Deputy chief of staff for di presidency Stanislav Dogboe tok for one presser say "make pipo join us mourn in solemnity; we neva want any chaos and unauthorized movement for di funeral grounds."
"Na only accredited pipo go get access to di inner perimeter all di way to di military cemetery. Di police go dey on standby to assist to direct traffic for di independence square area."
Since di deadly crash, foreign heads of state and oda dignitaries dey send condolence message to di pipo and President of Ghana.
President of Sierra Leone and Ecowas chair Julius Maada Bio and di president of Sao Tomè Carlos Vila Nova already don visit di kontri to mourn wit President John Mahama, wey dem lay wreaths for di fallen eight.
Heads of di missions for di kontri, state institutions, political party leaders and members of di public don also pay floral tribute to di victims, when di president declare three days of national mourning.
Di military helicopter bin dey carry ogbonge govment officials to launch one event against illegal mining for Obuasi for di Ashanti region, crash into one forest wey all di occupants burn beyond recognition.
Di eight victims include two cabinet ministers - di defence minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah, di environment minister - Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed as well as di deputy national security coordinator Dr Muniru Limuna.
Di oda victims na Dr Samuel Sarpong wey be di first vice chairman of di govment party di National Democratic congress (NDC) and Samuel Aboagye wey be di deputy national disaster management organisation director (Nadmo).
Three crew members on top di military helicopter also perish - Squadron leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Twum Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
Sake of di bodies of di victims bin burn beyond recognition for di crash site, govment bin carry dia samples to South Africa for forensic & DNA analysis to identify dem.
Afta di kontri receive electronic results for two of di victims wey be Muslims (Dr Ibrahim Murtala and Alhaji Muniru Limuna), dem bin organize Islamic prayers wey dem bury dem for di military cemetery on 10 August 2025.
Ahead of di state funeral for all di crash victims, sabi pipo bin bash di armed forces ova di way dem bin handle di whole accident.
Some pipo also bin sama di local authorities wey don lead di search and rescue effort for dat day including how dem handle di bodies of di victims.
Sabi pipo say di military bin respond late to di scene of di incident wey bin involve dia boss di defence minister and dia three oda service colleagues wey be di crew on top di Z-9 helicopter dat day.
'How we respond to di crash' - Chief of defence staff
Many pipo also bin criticize di disaster scene officials say dem bin use jute sack to carry di bodies of di victims from di forest to di standby ambulance for di foot of di forest.
But for one press conference di chief of defence staff, Lieutenant General William Agyapong explain wetin happun on dat day.
Im tok say di military bin respond to di accident quickly contrary to wetin many pipo bin dey tok say di soldiers delay bifor dem arrive on di scene.
"Dis na di fastest recovery exercise wey involve helicopter crash for dis kontri; di last time helicopter don crash for di Atiwa forest, we bin take three days to reach di accident scene."
Im explain say "for dis latest case, when we bin suspect say sometin happun to di helicopter, e take us additional 30 minutes to apply di known protocols to find di aircraft."
"If aircraft don lose communication, e neva mean say e don crash, e fit mean say e dey fly very low out of radar, or sake of poor weather or mechanical wahala."
Lt. Gen. Agyapong explain say "we bin activate rescue effort afta we realize say we still no dey find di aircraft for di radar, we later change am from rescue to recovery efforts afta we bin gather information from di residents for di village."
"Di closest military post at di time na di team wey bin go di helipad for Obuasi to receive di dignitaries wey bin dey go for di illegal mining event; na so we deploy dem to di scene, wey e don take time for dem to reach dia," di CDS add.
Im further explained say "by di time soldiers bin reach dia, di locals for di scene already begin to interfere wit di crime scene. Our oda team from Kumasi bin reach di scene on time - wey be about 800ft above sea level."
"For di site, our personnel don do whatever dem fit do dat day, wey we bin do di recovery wit di available material at di time for dat thick forest."
Di CDS confam say di officers on ground togeda wit health workers and local authorities bin carry body bags to di crash site for di victims.
"Even though we carry some body bags, di remains of di victims bin dey hot as some still dey burn; so e neva dey fit to put dem inside di rubber body bags.
Lt. Gen. William Agyapong conclude say "di accident site na thick forest, night begin to dey fall, na so we make decision to use di jute sacks from di local farmers to carry di bodies from di forest. We gat di option to leave di bodies for dia and return di next day, but we sabi wetin fit happun to dis bodies if we leave dem dia."
"Na so di team on top di mountain inside di forest decide to use di available material to start to descend di hill wit di bodies wey dem meet di medical team for di foot of di hill."
Di head of di military tok journalists say afta dem move di bodies from di forest, dem now put dem inside body bags wey dem transport dem inside three standby ambulances.
"We now transfer di bodies to Kumasi wey we put dem inside caskets; we bin drape dis caskets wit di Ghana flags to befit dia status as patriots of di kontri, wey we move dem to Accra."
Di CDS admit say "some mistakes fit happun for dis process but our men bin respond fast fast to di situation. From di crash to Accra, e dey possible say some tins happun wey no gree wit our culture but I gat to tok am say di pipo on di ground bin access di situation wey dem do dia best wit wetin dey available at di time."
Investigations on di crash don start
President John Mahama confam say di investigation board of inquiry bin dey chook eye into di mata.
Im assure say "we don find flight data and oda information wey go assist di investigations."
Di Chief of Defence staff also tok am say di armed forces almost finish wit preliminary investigation into di case.
"At dis moment, we don dey keep di anti-crash recorder wey we don dey wait for di manufacturers to decode am."
"If e don dey necessary to update una wit any further information, we go share am wit di public."
Wetin happun since di tragedy
President Mahama don hint say govment go create fund for di families for di gallant citizens wey don die for dis crash.
Some of dem bin get young children na so dis fund go cater for dem from now till dem finish education.
Sabi pipo also tok say dis na di time di govment gat to take serious action against illegal mining wey be di mata we don carry di eight pipo go dia death.
Di office of di presidential envoy for interfaith and ecumenical relations also don ask pastors and men of God to submit dia prophesies about top govment officials and di presidency, to di office for action.
Dis na afta viral videos don comot on top social media say some prophets and men of God bin prophesy about di plan crash.
Oga Elvis Afriyie Ankrah explain say "many of di prophets and pastors bin complain say dem neva dey get access to ogbonge govment officials wey dem dey get prophesies about dem."
"Sake of di lack of access, sometimes dem neva fit dey connect to dis pipo to share di prophesies and give dem direction to prevent disaster," oga Afriyie Ankrah explain.
Na so im release statement to invite pastors and prophets to submit any prophesies about govment officials and di presidency to im office.
"We don dey inform all prophets and spiritual leaders say make una relay your prophesies or spiritual insight of national nature to di office for di presidential envoy for urgent review and appropriate escalation."
Di statement add say "dis prophesies and insights na those wey get implications for high profile govment officials and political leaders, national security and public stability."
Di govment explain say "dis na in di spirit of responsibility, discernment and stewardship ova di destiny of di kontri."
Since di crash, di armed forces bin organize vigil for di Takoradi air force base and di Ghana armed forces camp for Accra to honour di fallen heroes.
Pipo bin tok say make govment create monument to honour dem, odas also bin tok say di greatest tribute for dem na to stop illegal mining (galamsey) once and for all.
Di Friday state funeral go attract pipo from across di kontri wey di planning committee, di police and di military bin tok say na solemn event, so dem neva want any controversy and drama.
Di president dey expected to make some ogbonge announcements for di funeral; e dey likely asy dem go promote di service crew members wey die for dis crash as dem bin die in line of duty.
