The St James Seminary and Senior High School (SHS) last Wednesday evening held a solemn Requiem Mass in honour of Squadron Leader Peter Baafemi Anala, an old student of the school who perished in the tragic August 6, 2025, military helicopter crash with seven others.
The prayer event, organised by the St James Old Boys Association (JOBA) to offer special prayers for Squadron Leader Anala’s soul, turned into a moment of grief and sorrow, as participants, mainly students, shed tears.
It brought together hundreds of people, including a former Attorney-General, Alfred Tuah Yeboah and military officers, to honour the late Squadron Leader Anala, who completed the school in 2007.
Other persons who died while on a national assignment include Minister of Defence, Dr Edward Omane Boamah and Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.
The rest are the acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna; Vice-Chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Sarpong; a Deputy Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation, Samuel Aboagye; Flying Officer Manaen Twum Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo-Mensah.
Admonishment
At the sombre event, the Priest in charge of the St James Seminary and Senior High School, Rev. Fr Sixtus Evans Appiah Kyeremeh, admonished the public to be prepared for life's uncertainties by living a worthy lifestyle that pleased God.
A section of participants
"We must be prepared at all times by living a worthy lifestyle," he stated.
Rev. Fr Kyeremeh, a classmate of Squadron Leader Anala, shared a memory that on July 22, 2025, he flew a helicopter over the school and shared an aerial video with his former mates.
He said Squadron Leader Anala promised him (Rev. Fr Kyeremeh) that he would return to see him.
"But two weeks later, Squadron Leader Anala tragically died in the August 6 military helicopter crash at Adansi with seven others, including two ministers of state," Rev. Fr Kyeremeh said.
Reflections
Some of his classmates, who shared their reflections with the media, said Squadron Leader Anala was a very friendly and jovial person who always liked to assist colleagues in studying.
"Peter was a charming and nice person. These are some of the things I remember vividly about Anala. Peter's death is a big blow to the nation, including JOBA and classmates," a classmate of Anala, Donatus Atible, said.
He said Squadron Leader Anala was still in touch with his classmates even after St James Seminary and SHS education.
Mr Atible said Squadron Leader Anala was a proud member of the association and contributed significantly to the organisation of the school’s activities.
"We received his death message with so much pain and shock because he was a dedicated person and always wanted to project the school wherever he was," he said.
Others said Squadron Leader Anala was an interesting person with a sense of humour that endeared him to many.
"To lose such a person is not easy at all; it is excruciating, and we all have learnt a lesson that we have to be nice and be dedicated to the services of our nation as he did," one other classmate said.
Writer's email: biiya.ali@graphic.com.gh
