It began on an ordinary day, with an unlikely meeting on a medical school bus. For Rita Adubei Offei, wife of the late Defence Minister, Dr Omane Boamah, it was the start of a journey she would later call destiny.

“Kofi B! as I affectionately called you! We were destined to be together! Though I was not a medical student, fate brought us together on that fateful day, when I boarded the medical school bus,” she recalled in a heartfelt tribute read at the state funeral on Friday, August 15, where Ghana mourned eight patriots who died in the line of duty.

Their love story, she said, was woven with simple joys and shared rituals.

“Our night walks from my home to buy kenkey and fish, and vice versa. I always looked forward to visiting you in school so we would embark on our walk to buy kenkey and fish. Thus, buying and eating kenkey together became our hallmark.”

It was over these meals that their bond deepened, and Rita said she was convinced he would be “a loving and perfect father of our children.”

She spoke of how he reminded her of her own father, a resemblance so strong that he acknowledged it himself the first time they met.

“You knew that you had a partner for life. You were truly God sent,” she said.

Their marriage proposal led to a wedding on her birthday, giving them a reason to celebrate both occasions together every year.

“We have always had a double celebration on my birthdays and was hoping the same for this year too.”

When their children arrived, Dr Boamah embraced fatherhood with the same devotion.

“You were nothing short of a wonderful father. You were a great source of hope to me and the children. Despite your busy schedule as a Doctor and later in your political roles, you either bathed the children every morning or dressed them up while I bathed them.”

She remembered how he became their favourite teacher, knowing “all their syllabus back to back” and creating a strict timetable for studies, balanced with play and adventures.

Through their years together, one question lingered — a question he often asked: “Abena Rita, what will you do when I am not around?”

She never answered it, and she admitted, “Till today I don’t have an answer.”

She promised, with God’s help, to take care of his mother and their three children, believing that he would be watching over them from above.

“Kofi B! Thank you for loving me, thank you for loving the children, thank you for loving my family and all who came to know you. God be with you till we meet again. Rest in power, my love!” she concluded, her voice breaking in a hall heavy with grief and pride.