Deputy Chief of Staff Stanislav Xoese Dogbe has admonished the media and all other accredited persons not to disrupt tomorrow’s state funeral at Black Star Square by chasing mourners for stories.
He issued this warning while addressing the media on preparations and guidelines ahead of the event.
“We expect that we will all comport ourselves; we will respect the guidelines,” Mr Dogbe said. “We do not want to see tomorrow anybody holding a phone or a monopod and struggling to chase people, chase mourners as they are coming in to come and sit down”.
According to Mr. Dogbe, the nature of the event demands the highest level of solemnity and decorum.
“We expect a very high level of decorum and solemnity tomorrow morning,” he stated.
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He added that all those with media accreditation to ensure they arrive well ahead of time to complete technical checks before the funeral service begins at 7:30 a.m.
“If you are given an accreditation to be in the inner perimeter, do well to come in early and check your audio and make sure that you have the required audio feed that you need and then also check on the TV feed to make sure that you are okay before the service starts at about 7:30,” the Deputy Chief of Staff noted.
Earlier, Mr. Dogbe indicated that the three-hour ceremony will include readings of biographies for all eight victims, along with tributes from widows, children, government officials, and other representatives from various institutions.
After the service, the remains of six of the victims will be transported to the military cemetery at Tse Addo for interment, with burial rites being conducted jointly by the GAF and the respective churches of the deceased.
The helicopter crash on August 6 resulted in the loss of eight lives. Two of the victims, Alhaji Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed and Alhaji Muniru Mohammed Limuna, were laid to rest on Sunday, August 10, in keeping with Islamic traditions.
Those honoured on August 15 will include Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Dr Samuel Sarpong, Mr Samuel Aboagye, Squadron Leader Peter Baafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manaen Twum Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
Mr Dogbe further encouraged the public to arrive early and follow the security measures that have been put in place for the event.
