The Ministries remained quiet yesterday as all scheduled programmes were cancelled following President John Dramani Mahama's declaration of a three-day national mourning.
The declaration followed the death of two ministers and six others after a helicopter they were travelling in crashed in the Ashanti Region last Wednesday.
Almost all workers were clad in black, with some shedding tears.
The eight, including the Minister of Defence, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, and the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, died in the crash at Adansi Krofuom on their way to the launch of the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) at Obuasi.
Last Wednesday afternoon, when news of the passing of the minister broke, staff at the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) in Accra were thrown into a state of mourning.
Around 3:30 p.m., when the Daily Graphic visited the offices, deep silence and apparent disbelief had gripped staff in the wake of confirmation of the tragic death of the minister.
Scheduled meetings were suspended, while a solemn atmosphere took over the usually active corridors of the ministry.
The national flag, hoisted at half-mast at the entrance of the ministry on the directive of the President, fluttered slowly.
Inside the offices and along the corridors, the mood was heavy.
Several staff members wore red and black armbands, a known symbol of mourning in Ghanaian cultural settings.
Some sat quietly in their offices while others tried to comfort their colleagues.
A few who could not contain the weight of the news broke down in tears as the reality of the tragedy dawned on them.
Management hastily organised a meeting in the main conference room to officially break the news.
Outside the premises was a crowd of onlookers and passersby who stood in silence.
The Chief Director of the ministry, Suweibatu Adam, shed tears as she walked out of the premises flanked by escorts.
At the same ministry yesterday, the staff, visibly cast down, visited the residence of the minister to commiserate with the family before returning to work. Officials, however, shied from media queries.
Those on the flight included the Minister of Defence, Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah; acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, Alhaji Muniru Mohammed Limuna; a Second Vice Chairman of the NDC, Samuel Sarpong; and a parliamentary candidate in the 2024 elections, Samuel Aboagye.
The others were Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Amaning Twum Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
Business
Some clients who had come to transact business at three ministries -- Environment, Tourism and Labour -- appeared disappointed as there were no senior officials to address their concerns.
Francis Eshun had travelled from Winneba to follow up on his form for endorsement at the Ministry of Environment. Nonetheless, he expressed hope that despite the tragic event, business would go on.
In less than 24 hours after the tragic event, some young men have been able to create miniature portraits of all those killed in a one-page calendar to cash in.
However, business appeared to be slow as people were seen in groups discussing the passing, especially of Dr Omane Boama and Dr Mutala Mohammed.
Usually by midday, there would be heavy vehicular and human movements at the Ministries as workers either went out for lunch or attended to visitors. However, there was no such thing happening on Thursday.
The road linking Tema Station, Foreign Affairs and the Ghana News Agency, which was always busy around midday, was almost deserted.
Although some vehicles were seen around, vehicular activities were reduced.
Food joints around the Environmental Protection Authority and the Foreign Affairs Ministry were not as brisk as they used to be.
There was no scientific proof to ascertain whether the low activities were due to the tragic event, but the happenings were unusual.
When the reporter was leaving the Ministries, no minister had reported to work.
