The Presidential running mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 general election, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has called on Ghanaians to soberly reflect on the devastating tragedy that has claimed the lives of gallant and patriotic citizens, including two serving ministers of state.

Speaking at the Jubilee House gardens, where a solemn wreath-laying ceremony was held as part of a three-day national mourning, Dr Opoku Prempeh said the moment should serve as a rallying point for unity and a renewed commitment to building a stronger nation.

He, therefore, urged politicians to focus their efforts on initiatives that genuinely improved the lives of ordinary Ghanaians, adding that the ultimate measure of leadership was service to the people.

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Dr Omane Boamah, remembered the late Defence Minister, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, as not only a junior colleague in the medical profession, but also a friend and brother.

He described the late Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed as a close friend with whom he shared daily conversations during the heated days of political campaigning, exchanging ideas and envisioning the Ghana they both aspired to help build.

Reflecting on his long-standing relationship with the late Dr Samuel Sarpong, Dr Opoku Prempeh recounted how,over the past 25 years, he had attended every Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly meeting to which Members of Parliament were invited by Dr Sarpong, describing their bond as deeply personal and enduring.

He stated that while the nation grieves collectively in this period of mourning, “very soon, when the heat of the moment passes, the bereaved families would be left alone with their pain”.

He therefore called on Ghanaians to continue showing love, compassion and tangible support to the families long after the ceremonies have ended.

“This is a time for sober reflection,” he said, “a time to stand together, to comfort the grieving, and to commit ourselves once again to building the Ghana our fallen brothers and sisters dreamed of,” he said