“Abena Rita, What Will You Do When I’m Gone?” — Rita Omane Boamah Delivers Heart-Wrenching Tribute to Late Husband

By Joylinda Laryea / 15 August, 2025

Mrs. Rita Omane Boamah, widow of the late Minister for Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, paid an emotionally charged tribute to her husband during the interdenominational state funeral held on Friday, August 15, in honour of the eight victims of the August 6 helicopter crash.

Recalling his haunting question "Abena Rita, what will you do when I’m gone?"  she said, “I never answered, and I still don’t have an answer.” Her words captured the profound sense of loss and disbelief that has gripped the nation and devastated the families of those who perished.

Dr. Omane Boamah died when a Ghana Air Force Z-9 helicopter crashed in a forested area near Sikaman, in the Adansi Akrofrom District of the Ashanti Region. The crash claimed the lives of seven others while en route to Obuasi for the launch of the Responsible Cooperative Mining Initiative.

The other victims included:

• Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation

• Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator

• Dr. Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)

• Samuel Aboagye, Deputy NADMO Director-General and former parliamentary candidate

• Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala

• Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu

• Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah

Rita Boamah’s tribute was a poignant reflection of love, grief, and enduring connection. Her voice, though heavy with sorrow, resonated with the pain of a widow mourning not just a public figure, but a partner, friend, and confidant.

The state funeral, marked by solemnity and military honours, served as a moment of collective mourning for a nation still grappling with the scale of the tragedy.