Retired military officer and security analyst, Colonel Festus Aboagye, has strongly criticized Ghana’s emergency response mechanisms following the tragic military helicopter crash on August 6, which claimed the lives of eight individuals. Among the deceased were Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed.
In a recent interview, Col. Aboagye expressed outrage over reports that the victims’ remains were transported in cocoa sacks rather than in proper body bags. He described the handling of the bodies as undignified and unacceptable for individuals who had dedicated their lives to public service.
“For the sake of dignity, someone from national security should have stepped in to say, ‘We’ve secured the remains. Can we get decent material—at least body bags or even polythene coverings?’” he stated.
He questioned the message such treatment sends to both the public and the families of the deceased.
“If someone who has served their country is carried away in a cocoa sack, what message does that send?” he asked.
Col. Aboagye compared the incident to the 2022 Appiatse explosion, describing both as clear examples of the country's inadequate disaster preparedness and emergency response.
He emphasized that such practices not only dishonor the deceased but also cause further trauma to grieving families.
“Imagine a child of one of the victims seeing their father being carried like that—what would they feel? It sends a message that their parent’s service meant nothing,” he lamented.
The retired colonel called for the immediate establishment of a well-coordinated national emergency response system—one that upholds both operational efficiency and human dignity in times of crisis.
Source; theghanareport
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