Photos: What Major Mahama statue means to Airport Hills

Major Maxwell Adam Mahama may not have been known before he was gruesomely murdered at Diaso in Denkyira Obuasi but he stole the hearts of Ghanaians when he refused to pull the trigger to ward off his killers, the people he had sworn to protect- till his last breath.

His death, was not ordinary! No, certainly not! The only death that had the country drowning in tears.

It does not matter when but the mention of this soldier, Maxwell Adam Mahama, brings a wave of sadness.

However, on Wednesday, the mention of him brought pride to the management of Airport Hills here in Accra.

And so for management and some residents of Airport Hills, it is sobering to drive or walk past the Airport Hills Roundabout and see the 20-footer-monument lifted in the soldier’s memory.

Exactly two years after his death, government on Wednesday unveiled a statue at the Airport Hills Roundabout to honour the fallen soul.

The statue will remind Ghanaians about his story and the callous manner in which he was murdered on May 29.

Chief Executive Officer of Finali Limited, owners of Airport Hills, Kofi Gbedema, says the statue is a reflection of the story of the late soldier who became a national hero. A story of great milestones and achievements that wowed Ghanaians but crashed their hearts at the same time.

This is a solemn moment in our history for all. A solemn moment indeed!

Mrs. Esi Gbedema, together with her husband Kofi, named the area located about 10 minutes’ drive from the Kotoka International Airport -opposite Burma Camp- as Airport Hills, when they started developing the Community sometime in 1995.

“It is actually humbling that the statue has been placed there. It will serve as an eternal reminder of the late army officer who fell gallantly in the line of duty,” Mrs. Esi Gbedema added.

“Actually, that roundabout was never officially named Airport Hills Roundabout. It was referred to as such because of its proximity to our ‘Airport Hills’,” Esi who is the Executive Director at Finali Limited, revealed in a chat with Myjoyonline at the unveiling ceremony.

The roundabout came into existence a few years ago, following Government’s decision to construct the road from Congo Junction at Burma Camp through Airport Hills to Flower Pot Junction on the Spintex Road to serve as an alternate route for residents of East Legon and beyond.

Placing the statue there is strategic as thousands of vehicles now ply that road. Thousands will see the statue daily.