Security analyst and retired military officer, Col. Festus Aboagye, has expressed deep concern over Ghana’s handling of victims in national disasters, describing recent actions as lacking dignity.
Speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, August 9, Col. Aboagye reacted to the August 6 military helicopter crash that claimed eight lives — including Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. He criticised the emergency response for transporting the remains in cocoa sacks instead of using proper body bags.
“For the sake of dignity, national security could have informed their superiors that the bodies had been secured and requested more appropriate materials. Even if the sacks had been lined with polythene, that would have been more acceptable. But to carry people who have served this country in cocoa sacks — is that how we treat the departed?” he questioned.
Col. Aboagye referenced the 2022 Appiatse explosion as another instance of poor disaster response, urging the establishment of a coordinated national emergency system that safeguards both efficiency and respect for victims.
He further warned of the emotional harm such images could cause. “Imagine one of the children of these eight seeing their father being carried in a cocoa sack on television. How would that child feel? It’s as if their loved one’s service to the nation counted for nothing,” he said.
