Fare thee well to our fallen patriots

Today, as the nation gathers to lay to rest the remaining victims of last week’s tragic Ghana Air Force helicopter crash in the Ashanti Region, our nation stands united in grief. 

On Wednesday, August 6, we lost eight patriots — five government officials, including two cabinet ministers, and three Air Force personnel: the pilot, co-pilot and an engineer.

They were on a mission to launch a programme aimed at ensuring responsible mining — a noble effort to replace the scourge of illegal mining, or galamsey, that has scarred our land and threatened our future.

This tragedy is not just the loss of individual lives. It is the loss of visionaries, public servants and patriots who were prepared to confront one of the most stubborn challenges facing our country.

That they perished in pursuit of this goal should stir every Ghanaian to the urgency of the fight against galamsey — a menace that has polluted our rivers, destroyed our farmlands, and, now in a cruel twist, contributed indirectly to the conditions that claimed their lives.

We at the Daily Graphic extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families, to the President of the Republic, to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and all Ghanaians.

We share in your sorrow.

We honour the courage of the air force personnel whose professionalism and dedication are beyond question. And we mourn the loss of the leaders who, despite the dangers, chose to stand on the frontlines of reform.

The outpouring of sympathy from across the world — from governments, individuals, and multilateral and bilateral organisations —has been heart-warming. Messages of solidarity have reminded us that in our darkest moments, we are not alone.

We note with appreciation that two of the victims have already been buried, and today, Friday, the rest will be laid to rest.

But funerals are not the end of grief, and mourning must not mark the end of support.

In that regard, the Daily Graphic commends the government for its intention to launch a fund for the children of the victims.

This initiative will ensure that the dreams and futures of these children are not left to wither because their parents died in the line of duty.

The paper encourages all Ghanaians —home and abroad— to contribute generously to this fund. Let it stand as our collective statement that we do not take for granted the sacrifices made in service to the nation.
We urge Ghanaians to remain in touch with the bereaved families even after the funerals.

Too often, our compassion fades once the ceremonies are over.

The quiet months and years after burial are when loneliness can bite the hardest.

The families will still need our comfort and our presence. 

Let us not be a people who remember our heroes only in the pages of obituaries.

One striking feature of this moment of grief is the way it has united us as a country.

For the past week, partisanship has been largely muted.

Citizens from all political affiliations have mourned together, prayed together, and paid tribute together.

This spirit of national unity is as moving as it is rare. If citizens can come together to mourn our dead, then surely we can come together to build our nation.

The extreme partisanship that has too often defined our public life has held back our full potential.

Let this tragedy be the beginning of a new national resolve — to work together on matters that advance the common good, no matter our political colours.

As we commit the last of these gallant souls to the earth today, let us also commit ourselves to the cause for which they died.

Galamsey has long been treated as a problem for “someone else” to solve --whether that “someone else” is the government, the security agencies or the courts.

The truth is that this is a collective fight.

Every community, every citizen, every traditional authority and every political party has a role to play.

Our rivers, forests and farmlands are our inheritance; to destroy them is to destroy ourselves.

May this national tragedy jolt us out of complacency.

Let us recommit to ending illegal mining, not merely because it is unlawful, but because it is immoral to leave a poisoned land to future generations.

Let us honour the dead not only with wreaths and speeches, but with decisive action.

On this solemn Friday, the Daily Graphic prays for the repose of the souls of our departed brothers.

We pray for strength for their families.

And we pray for Ghana -- that out of this sorrow will rise a renewed spirit of unity, service and love for country.