Sikaman-Brofoyedru awaits promised support a year after August 6 helicopter crash
The memories of the August 6 helicopter crash remain fresh in the minds of residents of Sikaman-Brofoyedru, the community closest to the crash site.
Some of the residents were among the first to reach the scene through the thick forest and assisted in the rescue efforts.
It has been a year since the incident, one of Ghana’s worst aviation disasters, which has become symbolic for the community.
Anyone entering the area is greeted by a billboard carrying the faces of the ministers, government officials, and military officers who died in the helicopter crash a year ago.
For residents living closest to the crash site, it is more than just a signboard, it is a constant reminder of the day they rushed into the forest hoping to save lives.
The first resident to reach the crash site when the incident occurred, Gideon Oduro, described his journey through the thick forest as a moment that left a lifelong memory on him.
“The incident has left a memory and I can’t forget the day. I can not even remember how I went through the thick to help in the rescue effort. I believe it was God who led me to the site. It was difficult but I managed to get there.”
There were, however, several promises made by the government to the people of the community, including upgrading their road network, completing an abandoned community centre, and recruiting selected youth from the community into the Ghana Armed Forces.
Gideon, who is among the youth who were promised recruitment, expressed disappointment that the promise has yet to be fulfilled one year after the incident.
The billboard bearing the pictures of the victims of the helicopter crash was rebuilt by the queen mother of the area, Nana Ama Akyem II, after the first one that was erected collapsed.
Opinion leaders in the community are also appealing to the government to ensure that the promises made to them are fulfilled.
Nana Amoako, who is the Benkumhene of the Sikaman-Brofoyedru community, appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to come to their aid.
