Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih, former Upper West/Upper East Regional Minister, has joined a score of leaders worldwide in mourning the tragic Z9 helicopter crash that claimed the lives of eight gallant heroes on August 6. The victims included two ministers of state, a deputy national security coordinator, a vice chairman of the NDC, and three members of the Ghana Armed Forces.

In a somber statement, the former minister recalled his close personal ties with two of the deceased: Environment Minister Dr. Ibrahim Murtala and Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Munir Limuna.

“I and Murtala ate from the same pot, and he frequently visits. Alhaji Munir Limuna was a brother; anytime he is in Upper West, he visits and we frequently talk on the phone,” Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih shared.

Stressing the sacrifices associated with public service, an empathetic Dr. Hafiz reflected that the tragedy could have befallen him or any other public official.

“In my time as Upper East Regional Minister, I boarded these military helicopters time without number to Bawku and other places. It was grace that sailed me through,” he reflected somberly.

In his concluding remarks, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih urged the government to take pragmatic steps to prevent future occurrences of such accidents. He concluded with a poignant message of faith, stating his belief that the ultimate price of living is death and offering a solemn Islamic reflection: “To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.”