President John Dramani Mahama has honoured 13 residents of Sikaman-Brofoyedu in the Ashanti Region for their heroic role in retrieving the bodies of victims from the military helicopter crash that claimed eight lives earlier this month.
The crash occurred on August 6, 2025, in the Dampia Range Forest Reserve within the Adansi Akrofrom District. Among those who perished were Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah and Environment, Science and Technology Minister Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, alongside other senior government officials.
On Wednesday, August 27, 2025, the National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, led a delegation to the community on behalf of the President. Addressing the residents, he commended them for their courage and sacrifice during the tragedy.
As part of the recognition, the government presented:
- ₵100,000 cash package to the 13 residents who assisted in recovering the bodies.
- ₵20,000 to the Adansi Traditional Council to support traditional rites.
- A pledge to provide employment opportunities tailored to the rescuers’ skills and capacities.
President Mahama also assured the community that key infrastructure projects, starting with the rehabilitation of local roads, would soon commence.
The Adansihene, Abu Bonsrah, welcomed the government’s gesture and urged the establishment of a tourism memorial centre at the crash site to honour the victims.
Meanwhile, Ashanti Regional Minister Dr. Frank Amoakohene assured farmers that only the immediate accident zone would remain restricted, allowing them access to their farmlands.
The gesture has been widely praised as a rare but significant recognition of the sacrifices made by ordinary citizens during a moment of national grief.
By Peter Quao Adattor
