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Mrs Rita Omane Boamah, widow of the late Minister for Defence, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, with a voice heavy with grief, stood before mourners on Friday, August 15, to honour the man she loved and shared her life with.
Her heartfelt tribute came during the interdenominational state funeral for eight distinguished Ghanaians whose lives were cut short in a national tragedy.
Dr Omane Boamah’s journey ended on August 6, when a military helicopter carrying him and seven others crashed in a forested area at Sikaman, in the Adansi Akrofrom District of the Ashanti Region.
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They had been on their way to Obuasi to launch the government’s Cooperative Mining Initiative — a mission they would never complete.
Among those who perished with him were Minister for Environment Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Muniru Mohammed, NDC Vice Chairman Dr Samuel Sarpong, and Deputy NADMO Director-General and former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye.
The Ghana Air Force also mourns the loss of three dedicated officers: Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
The funeral hall was filled with sorrow, the air thick with the weight of loss.
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For Mrs Omane Boamah, it was not just the farewell to a public servant but the painful goodbye to a husband, a partner, and a pillar of her life.
Below is the full tribute from Dr Omane Boamah’s wife, Mrs Rita Omane Boamah:
It is well, it is well. With my soul, with my soul,It is well; it is well. With my soul.
Kofi B! as I affectionately called you! We were destined to be together! Though I was not a medical student, fate brought us together on that fateful day when I boarded the medical school bus.
Our friendship started and was nothing short of love and adventure. Our night walks from my home to buy kenkey and fish, and vice versa.
I always looked forward to visiting you in school so we would embark on our walk to buy kenkey and fish. Thus, buying and eating kenkey together became our hallmark. I have no doubt you would be a loving and perfect father of our children.
In fact, I saw a father in you because you were the exact replica of my father. You also confirmed that when you met my dad the first time. You knew that you had a partner for life.
You were truly God-sent. Your commitment and love were such that when you proposed, we got married on my birthday, and we have always had a double celebration on my birthdays, and I was hoping the same for this year too.
When we started having kids, you were nothing short of a wonderful father. You were a great source of hope to me and the children. Despite your busy schedule as a doctor and later in your political roles, you either bathed the children every morning or dressed them up while I bathed them.
You were their favourite teacher because you knew all their syllabus back to back. You always had a strict timetable for their studies but made room for play and adventures.
You were truly a family man, a definition of a genuine person with a pure heart of gold. In our years of marriage, you always asked, “Abena Rita, what will you do when I am not around?” I never answered you, and till today I don’t have an answer.
I will, with God’s help, take care of Mummy and our three kids. Knowing who you are, I believe you will be looking down on us to guide us through from the heavens.
Kofi B! Thank you for loving me, thank you for loving the children, and thank you for loving my family and all who came to know you. God be with you till we meet again.
Rest in power, my love!
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For Mrs Omane Boamah and the families of all eight victims, the pain of this loss is immeasurable, yet so too is the pride in the legacies they leave behind.