The remaining victims of the Au­gust 6 helicopter crash were laid to rest at the Military Cemetery at Tse Addo in Accra, following a state funeral at the Black Star Square.

The six included Defence Minis­ter, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Council (NDC), Dr Samuel Sarpong, Deputy Director General of the Na­tional Disaster Organisation (NADMO), Samuel Aboagye, and three Ghana Armed Forces officers Squadron Lead­er Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manaen Twum-Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.

Two of the victims, who are Mus­lims, Environment Minister Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed and Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, Moham­med Muniru Limuna were earlier laid to rest.

The funeral ceremony was attended by the President, John Dramani Maha­ma, Vice President Naana Jane Opoku- Agyemang, Speaker of Parliament Al­ban Bagbin, the Acting Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and service chiefs.

It was a day of pain and sorrow as tributes poured from widows, chil­dren, colleagues, and state officials.

President John Dramani Mahama in his speech hailed the deceased as patriots who paid the ultimate price in the line of duty.

• Former President John Agyekum Kufuor (second from right), Former Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia (right), and the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin (left) and others

• Former President Akuffo-Addo (fourth from left) and Wife arriving at the Independence Square for the funeral

By Linda Abrefi Wadie

 A student of the University for Development Studies (UDS), Mr Ganiu Salifu Luri, has brought relief and renewed hope to pupils and teachers of Asare Nkwanta, a deprived community in the Sekyere Central District of the Ashanti Region, by mobilising residents to manufacture urgently needed school furniture.

Until this intervention, nearly 70 school children in the community endured the discomfort of sitting and lying on the bare floor during lessons, while teachers struggled without desks on which to carry out their work.

The lack of basic learning and teach­ing resources had long been a barrier to effective education delivery in the community.

Mr Luri, who is serving in Asare Nk­wanta as part of the University’s Third Trimester Field Practical Programme (TTFPP), said the situation deeply moved him when he arrived.

Determined to make a difference, he established a community-based ini­tiative named ‘Equip to Excel,’ aimed at mobilising local residents to address the pressing furniture deficit in the school.

Through his foundation, Mr Luri encouraged community members to contribute wood and other materials, after which he personally undertook the carpentry work to produce desks and tables for the school.

His efforts culminated in a formal presentation of the newly manufac­tured furniture to the school during an assessment visit by his supervisors, including Dr Hardi Shahadu of UDS.

Community elders and school man­agement described the intervention as a game-changer for education in Asare Nkwanta.

“This has solved one of the most urgent challenges in our school. The children can now learn in comfort, and teachers can work more effectively,” an elder remarked during the handing over ceremony.

Asare Nkwanta is one of many un­derserved communities in the Sekyere Central District, grappling with inad­equate infrastructure, limited educa­tional resources, and socioeconomic challenges.

The TTFPP, a flagship component of UDS’academic calendar sends students to such rural and peri-urban areas to live, work, and identify development needs while implementing practical solutions that leave lasting impact.

Mr Luri’s initiative is one of many innovative projects being undertaken by UDS students across Ghana under the TTFPP.

In various communities, these stu­dents have addressed issues ranging from sanitation and water supply to health education and skills training with each project tailored to the needs identified in their host communities.

The Vice-Chancellor of UDS has often described the TTFPP as “the Univer­sity’s most distinctive contribution to Ghana’s development,” combining academic learning with community service to nurture socially responsible graduates while delivering real change at the grassroots.

For Asare Nkwanta, the desks built through the dedication of a young uni­versity student now stand as a lasting reminder that with vision, collabo­ration, and determination, even the most deprived communities can take steps toward educational transforma­tion.

Credit:https:uds.edu.gh/news