Ghana joins Burkina Faso at inauguration of memorial park and giant statue in honour of Thomas Sanka

7h ago | Source: Graphic Online

A government delegation from Ghana joined the government and people of Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou at the inauguration of a memorial park and a giant statue in honour of Thomas Sankara on Saturday.

Thomas Isidore Noel Sankara was a Burkinabè military officer and Pan-Africanist revolutionary who served as the President of Burkina Faso from 1983, following his takeover in a coup, until his assassination in 1987 at the age of 37.

The Minister of Defence, Dr Edward Omane Boamah joined by the Minister of the Interior, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka and other officials represented President John Dramani Mahama at the ceremony in Ouagadougou to solidarise with Burkina Faso.

Other members of the delegation from Ghana were the Minister for Government Communications and presidential spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Ghana's Special Envoy to the Alliance of Sahel States, Lt. Col. Gbevlo Lartey (rtd), the Member of Parliament for Korle Klottey who also serves as the Chairperson for Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliament, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, two former National Security capos under President Rawlings (Naval Captain Asaase Gyima (rtd) and Mr. Kofi Totobi Quakyi.

The government of Burkina Faso inaugurated the memorial park with a giant statue to honour Captain Thomas Isidore Noel Sankara and his twelve colleagues who were assassinated on October 15, 1987.

At the event, the government and people of Burkina Faso stressed that these heroes are "Fallen but forever alive in their hearts."

They trust that this Thomas Sankara Memorial (a place of reflection and revolution) will be supportive in aiding them to emerge from oppression and defeat colonialism and terrorism.

Relatedly, posthumously, former President Jerry John Rawlings of Ghana received immense praise and it was announced that a ceremonial Street in Ouagadougou will be named after him this week, Dr Omane Boamah indicated.