Ursula Wematu Asaghedewe, widow of Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, has delivered a deeply moving tribute to her late husband, honouring his memory and service to the nation.
Speaking on Friday, August 15, during the interdenominational state funeral for the eight distinguished individuals who perished in the August 6 Sikaman helicopter crash, Ursula described her husband as her “answered prayer” and the pillar of her life.
Squadron Leader Anala, a dedicated member of the helicopter’s crew, lost his life alongside Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah, as well as five other prominent figures, including Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah; Environment Minister Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed; Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Muniru Mohammed; NDC Vice Chairman Dr. Samuel Sarpong; and Deputy NADMO Director-General Samuel Aboagye. The team was en route to Obuasi to launch the government’s Cooperative Mining Initiative when the tragedy occurred.
In her tribute, Ursula recalled Peter’s unwavering dedication to his work and his deep love for his family.
She remembered his promise that she would “never lift a finger” because he would “lift both hands” for them, a vow he honoured until his final moments.
Two months before the accident, Peter had been by her side in the delivery room for the birth of their daughter, Wenlie Wesoamo Anala.
Ursula spoke with pain about how she had hoped for more time together as a family, but duty called him back to serve the country just a week later.
“Now I know why Wenlie held you back for an extra week,” she said. “She knew she was keeping you from returning to Ghana for the last time.”
She shared how he filled their mornings with recorded videos describing his day, and how the last message she received ended with, ‘My love, I will call you back when we are back in Accra. Love youuuu.’
Through tears, Ursula admitted the pain of knowing those may have been his final words to her.
“I am missing a few morning videos. Kindly send me all the videos you have not sent since 7th August,” she said in a heart-wrenching plea.
“This was not the plan, Peter. This was not it,” she lamented. “Please come back and tell me this is all a terrible nightmare.”
“I will forever cherish the moments I spent with you, and I certainly cannot wait for that glorious reunion,” she said.
“Bafemi, my love, journey well. I love you.”
Below is the full tribute by Squadron Leader Anala’s wife:
Bafemi, the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3 that there is a time for everything under the sun: a time for planting and a time for harvest, a time to be born and a time to die… But Peter, this is not the time the Bible spoke about.
Bafemi, as I affectionately called him, was my answered prayer. From the moment I met him, my life has never been the same. My husband was a hardworking man; I have never seen a person more dedicated to his work. Peter told me that he would never allow me to lift a finger because he would lift both hands for us, and true to his word, I have not had to struggle for anything.
Peter took care of his family, just as he took care of his friends. He did everything to make sure my life was comfortable. My husband was a go-to person for everyone who knew him, sacrificing and laying down his life to come through for anyone in need.
Anyone who knows Peter knows that he would go hungry for the sake of his loved ones. Two months ago, when you held my hand in the delivery room through the birth of our beautiful baby, Wenlie Wesoamo Anala, we had new hope for our future and expectations for our family and the life we wanted her to have.
Ahh, Bafemi, I expected you to stay with me for at least a month to help us settle into our new reality, but for the love you had for our country, you had only just a week to spend with us. Before you left, Wenlie held you back for an extra week because she was not feeling well. Now I know why she was holding you back from returning to Ghana.
But for your dedication to your work, you had to make the most difficult sacrifice, to go and serve our
country, leaving behind a sick new baby and a new mother who was still healing.
Aaaah, Peter, two weeks only? Oh, what two weeks those were! Two weeks of endless kisses on Wenlie’s little face. I have never seen a broader smile than in the little time you spent with her. I did not want you to leave, but you promised me that, come rain or shine, you would return in October for Wenlie’s christening.
Eiiiiii, God! What am I going to tell her in a few years when she starts asking for her father? How do I explain that the hardships she is about to face, being fatherless, were not the life we planned for her when we brought her into this world?
How do I keep her from learning about your traumatic last moments? How do I give her the life we planned for her all alone? Every morning, you would record a video of yourself telling me how your
day would be, and all the exciting things and places you would go.
“My love, I will call you back when we are back in Accra. Love youuuu.”
Those cannot be the last words you ever said to me! I am missing a few morning videos. Kindly send me all the videos you have not sent since 7th August.
Aaaahhh, Bafemi, you left me broken! This was not the plan, Peter. This was not it! Bafemi, please come back. Please come and hold me and tell me this was all a very terrible nightmare and that it is over now.
I am supposed to be consoled with the fact that you died knowing God and that there is rest for you until we meet again. But I cannot come to terms with this. I will forever cherish the moments I spent with you, and I certainly cannot wait for that glorious reunion.
Bafemi, my love,
Journey well.
I love you
Source: Adomonline
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