The late Theresa Kufuor
The death of former First Lady Theresa Kufuor has sent shock waves among Ghanaians. This was after news broke about her passing Sunday evening.
President Akufo-Addo, was yesterday compelled by circumstance to issue a statement as the number one gentleman of the land to console the bereaved family, in which he could not but admit, “I am very saddened by the just-announced news of the death of Mrs. Theresa Kufuor, our nation’s former First Lady and wife of the 2nd President of the 4th Republic, His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor.”
Her passing, the President said, “reminds me keenly of human mortality, that is that Almighty God will come for each and every one of us at the appropriate time.”
“Mama Theresa, as she was affectionately called, was a devoted companion of President Kufuor throughout their sixty-one (61) years of marriage. She was an invaluable and constant source of advice, encouragement and prayers for him. Member of a well-known family from Odumase, in the Bono Region, sister of the renowned statesman, the late J.H. Mensah, and aunt of President Kufuor’s Secretary, the brilliant diplomat, Ambassador D.K. Osei, she was politically astute, and was a major contributor to her husband’s political success,” he said.
Apart from that, the President said “she was a composed and articulate First Lady, polyglot, fluent in several languages including Ewe, who brought great dignity to the position.”
President Akufo-Addo said he knew several members of her family, especially her celebrated brother, and thus expressed gratitude he had the opportunity to know her too, describing her warmth, kindness and grace as exceptional.
“She bore the vicissitudes of life with great stoicism and an unshakable belief in the sovereignty of Almighty God,” he stated highly of the former First Lady.
President Akufo-Addo added, “my wife, Rebecca, the First Lady, and I will miss her a lot,” whilst extending their deepest condolences to ex-President Kufuor, their children, grandchildren, and members of their family on their irreplaceable loss.
“We wish her a peaceful place of abode in the Bosom of the Almighty, as she deserves, until the Last Day of the Resurrection when we shall all meet again. Amen!!”
NPP Statement
The New Patriotic Party (NPP), in a statement, also paid glorious tribute to Mrs. Kufuor, touching on her service to humanity by championing the cause of healthcare in Ghana, including the establishment of the Mother and Child Community Development Foundation (MCCDF) that supports the prevention of mother to child transmission of diseases, including HIV/AIDS.
The statement also described her as a beacon for female advancement, fostering initiatives to inspire and empower both young and adult females in various facets of life.
“The members of the New Patriotic Party, together with all Ghanaians whose lives were positively touched by her, extend our deepest condolences to former President John Kufuor, their children and entire family,” the statement signed by General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong, indicated.
In tribute to the memory of the late Mrs. Kufuor, the NPP directed that all party flags across the country be flown at half-mast for the next seven days.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent