For those below 23 years of age, the Accra sports stadium disaster is in the distant past. But for those with a living memory of that historic day, it remains a recent memory since that stadium disaster that claimed the lives of over 126 Ghanaian soccer fans.
One of the key figures in the theatre of events on that lamentable day is Herbert Mensah, former Asante Kotoko chairman, who has made it his life mission to make sure that Ghanaians never forget the lessons of that day, the memory of the victims, and the suffering of their families.
In an anniversary message to Ghanaians, Herbert Mensah said the episode of the Accra stadium disaster was a turning point in his life after having to physically and personally carry dead soccer fans out of the Accra stadium alongside others on that day.
“We live in a culture that people tend to forget. But I have tried to make sure Ghanaians do not forget the symbolism of this day. We have done this by teaming up with different organisations like DESSO to help the disabled, we’ve been involved with surgeries for children who drank caustic soda while their mothers tried to make soap for a living, and we’ve been there for the Accra flood victims, all in our effort to make sure that we do not forget the suffering of those who suffer disasters such as the Accra sports stadium disaster of 2001.”
Herbert Mensah, who is President of the May 9 Foundation, set up the organisation in the aftermath of the stadium disaster to offer support to the families of the victims, but says he and the foundation have now gone further to team up directly over the past year with other charity foundations to offer help to children especially those with a hole in heart disease.
“In the last year, we have teamed up with the Shen Yang children’s heart foundation, of which I am the secretary, and whose founder, YC Shen, an extraordinary man from China, has invested so much in the heart surgeries of more than 25 children at the Korle Bu teaching hospital under the guidance of Dr. Kow Entsua Mensah of the National Cardiothoracic Centre in Accra, and in the process, we have saved the lives of many children, although some could not make it,’’ Herbert Mensah stated in his message to Ghanaians.
He added that this year he looks forward to walking with some of the children who have survived these critical heat surgeries to celebrate life, to remember those who passed on in the evening of May 9 2001 because nothing will ever be able to eradicate the horrors of that night.
Herbert Mensah praised the organizations who have supported the May 9 Foundation in all its achievements throughout the years including the SUNDA group that has been at the forefront of support, Kwabena Kesse of the Kesben group and Interplast Ghana as well as the massive media support from King Edward and Hello FM, OTEC, Oyarepa, Daily Guide, Elton Brobbey and the Multimedia group and the chief imam of Kumasi.
Herbert Mensah concluded in his message, “Today is May 9 and I just want to welcome you all to take a moment not to forget because that is so important but the true heroes of May 9 are the ones who are no longer with us”.
