Lieutenant Ewuradwoa Kumi-Kyeremeh, wife of the late Flying Officer Manean Twum Ampadu, delivered a deeply moving tribute to her husband during the final state funeral for the eight Ghanaians who died in the August 6 military helicopter crash.
The solemn ceremony took place at the Black Star Square on Friday, August 15, as the nation bid farewell to its fallen heroes.
“Who would have thought that I would be standing here today, reading a tribute to you? Who could ever have imagined that death would separate us so quickly? Everyone looks at me and says how composed I am, but I can do this because of you and of our love. What is this grief, and what do I do with it?” she asked.
Lt. Kumi-Kyeremeh recalled meeting her husband on his birthday in 2022 and the special bond they shared.
“People always commented that you loved me too much, but only you and I know the depth of what we had and shared. What do I do without you, and how do I carry on alone from here? Manaen, you were truly your name to me.
“You were my best friend, my ‘gisting’ partner, my everything. We had so many plans, dreams, and ideas that are now shattered. What do I do with all these emotions? Manaen, please respond and answer me, because this silence is too loud.”
She admitted that the pain still feels unreal.
“Everything feels surreal, and I sometimes think you will walk in, and all this will be just a bad dream. How is this even happening? But I will tell your story, so the world knows who you are and who you were to me.”
She described the late pilot as “considerate, attentive, giving, fun, and loving, a quiet source of strength to me and indeed everyone who encountered you.”
“My darling, thank you for blessing my life with your sweet presence and your ever-constant smile. My correct better half, my lover and my best friend, I hope you know I love you a lot more than these words can convey. I miss you. My forever and a day. Sleep well, my love. May the earth rest lightly on you. God be with you till we meet again,” she concluded.
Flying Officer Manean Twum Ampadu was among eight Ghanaians who lost their lives in the helicopter crash, alongside Minister for Environment Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed; Defence Minister Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah; former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye; NDC Vice Chairman Samuel Sarpong; Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Limuna Muniru Mohammed; Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala; and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
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