Retired security analyst Col. Festus Aboagye has shared a poignant memory of the late Defence Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, describing him as a leader who was open to ideas and deeply committed to fostering unity in the country.

Speaking on Newsfile in the wake of Wednesday’s helicopter crash that claimed Dr. Boamah’s life along with seven others, Col. Aboagye recalled an exchange earlier this year when he presented a communication strategy on the Bawku conflict to the minister.

The strategy, he explained, was framed within Ghana’s national security strategy, with national cohesion as its cornerstone.

“I saw Bawku as a crisis that could divide the country,” Col. Aboagye said.

“When I told him I wanted to share this with him, he was gracious enough to accept it himself rather than delegate it away. He understood its importance and said he could share it with the National Security... He said I was going to share it with the National Security coordinator. And I said, no, please. But he respected my wish for it to come to his office first.”

He said he had been hopeful the strategy would eventually be rolled out and believes Dr. Boamah’s willingness to engage on such critical issues reflected his dedication to the nation’s stability.

Col. Aboagye described the minister’s passing, along with two other senior government officials and three military crew members, as a “tragic loss."