“We feel forgotten”- Z-9 helicopter rescue volunteers await promised security service recruitment

One year after Ghana’s worst aviation tragedies in recent years, residents who risked their lives searching for survivors at the crash site at Sikaman/Brofoyedru say they are still waiting for government support they were promised for their bravery.

For Gideon Oduro, the memories of that day remain painful.

“I was the first person to visit the scene and I was completely devastated,” he recalled while visiting the crash site in the Adansi area of the Ashanti Region.

Oduro was among 13 local residents who joined rescue efforts after a military helicopter carrying eight people went down on 6 August 2025, killing everyone on board.

The victims included senior government officials, security personnel and three members of the Ghana Armed Forces who were operating the aircraft.

The residents say they searched through difficult terrain, recovered bodies and assisted emergency teams during the aftermath of the crash.

“What is heartbreaking is that when I remember when we carried the bodies under bizarre circumstances,” Oduro said.

“We thought a year by now we will be wearing our uniforms. We sacrificed our lives for this.”

Promises after the rescue

Another volunteer, Takyi Emmanuel, said the residents were recognised after the rescue operation and were promised assistance, including recruitment into the security services.

“We were part of the rescue mission. Government promised us a recruitment package after awarding us a certificate and a cash,” he said.

“But up to now we haven’t heard anything.”

Emmanuel said the group had completed medical examinations as part of the recruitment process but had not received any further communication.

“We plead with our DCE, the National Chairman of the NDC to enrol us in the security service as promised,” he said.

“We have gone for medicals but we are still at home. People still believe we have been recruited. Nobody has been recruited. Claims that we have been recruited is false.”

The residents say the uncertainty has caused frustration, particularly because some people assume they have already secured jobs in the security services.

A national tragedy

The helicopter crash occurred while the aircraft was travelling to Obuasi on an official mission linked to Ghana’s fight against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.

Those who died included Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah, Environment, Science and Technology Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Muniru Mohammed, Samuel Sarpong, Samuel Aboagye**, and three Ghana Armed Forces crew members.

The incident triggered nationwide mourning, with the government, political parties and civil society groups paying tribute to what became known as the “Departed Eight.”

A year later, the government has held memorial activities including a lecture, a national memorial service, the unveiling of a cenotaph and a blood donation exercise in honour of the victims.

Waiting for recognition

For the residents who responded first, however, the anniversary is also a reminder of promises they say remain unfulfilled.

They argue that their actions went beyond ordinary community assistance, as they stepped into dangerous conditions to support rescue and recovery efforts.

Their request is simple: that authorities follow through on commitments made after the tragedy.

As Ghana remembers the eight lives lost, the local rescuers who helped recover them say they too are waiting to see whether their own sacrifices will be recognised.