Lieutenant Ewuradwoa Kumi-Kyeremeh paid tribute to her husband, Flying Officer Manean Twum Ampadu, one of eight Ghanaians who died in the August 6 military helicopter crash at the state funeral held at Black Star Square on August 15.
Her words were filled with heartbreak and love.
“Who would have thought that I would be standing here today, reading a tribute to you?” she said. “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 recalled meeting Manean on his birthday in 2022 and the deep connection 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.”
Her tribute painted a portrait of a man who was not only a pilot but also her best friend, her “gisting” partner, and her safe place.
“Manaen, please respond and answer me, because this silence is too loud.”
She described him as “considerate, attentive, giving, fun, and loving,” and spoke of the surreal pain of his absence.
“I sometimes think you will walk in, and all this will be just a bad dream.”
Her final words were a tender farewell: “My correct better half, my lover and my best friend… I miss you. My forever and a day. Sleep well, my love. May the earth rest lightly on you.”
Flying Officer Ampadu was laid to rest alongside seven others, including Minister Murtala Mohammed and Defence Minister Omane Boamah.
