The widow of the late Deputy Director-General of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Samuel Aboagye, has appealed to Ghanaians to honour the memory of the eight officials who died in last year’s military helicopter crash by continuing the fight against illegal mining.
Speaking at the National Inter-Faith Memorial Service for the “Departed 8” on Thursday, August 6, Mrs Abigail Aboagye said the most meaningful way to remember the deceased was to complete the mission they died pursuing.
“Samuel died on his way to a fight that is yet not finished. The rivers he was going to defend are still being poisoned. The land is still bleeding,” she said.
“The truest tribute we can pay these eight is not a speech. It is to finish their work. Please, do not let this be the last year we remember them.”
Her remarks came as Ghana commemorated one year since the military helicopter crash that claimed the lives of eight public officials and military personnel who were travelling on official duty in connection with efforts to combat illegal mining.
Reflecting on her husband’s life, Mrs Aboagye described him as a devoted public servant whose commitment to helping others defined both his professional and personal life.
“As the Deputy Director for NADMO, his work was to reach people on the worst days of their lives. He did it well. But before any title, he was my husband and a father to our two girls,” she said.
Mrs Aboagye acknowledged that the past year had been one of profound grief for her family, saying the pain of losing her husband remains ever-present.
“I will not stand here and pretend the year has been easy. Grief does not get smaller. You simply grow around it,” she told the congregation.
She recounted the everyday reminders of her husband’s absence, noting that while life has continued, the void he left behind remains.
“There’s a chair in our house that nobody sits on. Birthdays came anyway. Christmas came anyway. And our girls still ask me questions I do not have good answers for,” she said.
Despite the loss, Mrs Aboagye expressed gratitude to all who supported the bereaved families throughout the past year.
She thanked President John Dramani Mahama, the Government of Ghana, the Ghana Armed Forces, NADMO, the people of Obuasi and Adansi, and Ghanaians across the country for standing with them during their period of mourning.
“Thank you. You held us up when we could not stand,” she said.
Mrs Aboagye also paid tribute to the families of the other seven victims, saying their shared tragedy had forged a lasting bond.
“To the seven other families here, we did not choose one another, but we belong to one another now,” she said.
In an emotional conclusion to her tribute, she addressed her late husband directly, saying her faith had sustained her through the darkest moments.
“I want you to know that God has held me. On the days I could not even pray, He carried me through all the pain,” she said.
“Our girls are well. They have your love, and I am keeping my promise. I am taking care. Rest peacefully in the bosom of the Lord. Until we meet again, you will always be my forever.”
