The Deputy Minister for Defence, Mr. Ernest Brogya Genfi, has delivered a deeply moving tribute to his late boss and mentor, Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, the Minister for Defence, who tragically passed away in a helicopter crash on August 6, 2025.

Speaking with raw emotion, Mr. Genfi described receiving news of the tragedy as “the hardest moment of my life”, confessing that he had prayed for a “pleasant surprise” of Dr. Boamah’s survival, only for his optimism to “fade with every drop of tears.”

Mr. Genfi painted a vivid picture of Dr. Boamah not only as a leader but also as an intellectual mentor whose wisdom illuminated every discussion on national defence, politics, and the future of Ghana.

“You held all the answers to the questions agitating my mind: strategy, national defence, elections, and our future.

Each new thought is now a knock at a door that will never again open to me,” he said, lamenting the irreplaceable void left by Dr. Boamah’s death.

Reflecting on their first encounter in 2013, Genfi recalled being struck by Dr. Boamah’s “quality of thought, depth of industry, and aura of grace.”

He emphasised that working alongside him redefined his personal understanding of leadership, noting: “You were not just my boss.

You were my role model and mentor.”

Mr. Genfi revealed a poignant personal history, recalling that as a young man of 12 years old on January 30, 2013, he had envisioned serving under Dr. Boamah one day.

That dream materialised when he was appointed Deputy Minister, but fate cruelly cut the partnership short.

“The dream of working with you endured longer than the reality,” he said, describing the loss as a prophecy fulfilled but prematurely ended.

Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, remembered as an astute statesman and a charismatic leader, is being mourned across the country.

His sudden passing has left not only a gap in Ghana’s defence leadership but also a profound personal void for those who worked closely with him.

In his tribute, Mr. Genfi summed up the pain of the moment: “My optimism fades with every drop [of tears]… I am forced to confront the cruel truth.”