Ghana’s security fraternity and the Christian community in Kumasi were plunged into mourning today as the Adum Central Police Church hosted a thanksgiving and memorial service for Flight Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah, one of eight servicemen who died in the tragic helicopter crash at Sikaman, near Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.
The late airman’s mother, Rev. Stella Amma Anku Katso, the Ashanti Regional Prisons Chaplain, led the service alongside his grieving widow and extended family. Known across the region for comforting others in times of crisis, Rev. Katso on this day stood broken, weeping for her son. Supported by relatives and fellow clergy, she was a living reminder of the heavy personal cost borne by the families of Ghana’s men and women in uniform.
The sanctuary was filled to capacity as military personnel, police officers, fire service men and women, immigration officers, clergy, friends, and well-wishers gathered to pay their respects. Their uniforms, worn with pride but heavy with grief, painted a vivid picture of solidarity and national loss. Many stood silently with bowed heads, their presence a collective salute to a fallen brother.
Eulogies delivered during the service portrayed Flight Sergeant Mensah as a disciplined and humble soldier whose loyalty to duty was matched only by his love for his family. His widow, though visibly devastated, drew strength as tributes poured in, describing her husband as a man who lived not for recognition but for service. Her quiet tears and resilience moved many to weep alongside her.
In moments of deep spiritual reflection, clergymen from various denominations prayed fervently for the widow and Rev. Katso. With hands laid upon them, passionate intercessions rose for divine comfort and strength. Hymns of consolation filled the church, mingling with sobs that echoed through the congregation.
The preacher, delivering a stirring sermon, reminded mourners that while death may silence the body, it cannot erase the legacy of a life lived with honor. “Flight Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah did not die in vain,” he said. “His service, his sacrifice, and his love for Ghana will continue to inspire those who remain in uniform.”
As the service drew to a close, a bugle sounded its haunting call—clear, solemn, and final. The moment broke many into fresh tears, marking both a farewell and a salute to a patriot who had given his all for his country.
For Rev. Stella Amma Anku Katso, the mother who has ministered to countless souls behind prison walls, the loss of her only son was both a personal heartbreak and a public tragedy. Yet, surrounded by the very security community she has long served, she stood as both mourner and example of faith in the face of unbearable loss.
Though Ghana has lost a soldier, his name will endure. Flight Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah’s legacy lives on in his courage, his service, and the love he leaves behind—an enduring light for his family, comrades, and a grateful nation.
May his soul rest in perfect peace.
