Amissah-Arthur One Week Marked

From left: Prof Mike Oquaye, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, Ama Busia, Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo, JJ Rawlings, Doe Adjaho, Asiedu Nketia and Kofi Portuphy at the memorial service yesterday

Hundreds of people, mostly politicians, yesterday converged on the Ridge Church in Accra to take part in the one-week memorial service in memory of the late former Vice President, Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur.

The ceremony was attended by Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye and former Presidents Jerry John Rawlings and John Mahama and his wife Lordina Mahama, among other dignitaries.

The two former presidents sat far apart from each other at the event.

They joined the family of the late vice president who died at the Air Force Gym on 29^th June, 2018, to mourn his death.

Senior officials of Amissah-Arthur’s party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), including Kofi Portuphy, National Chairman and Asiedu Nketiah, General Secretary, were also spotted at the memorial service.

It was a solemn service marked with intense reverence and tranquility, as friends and sympathizers were sorrowful throughout the service.

Speaking on behalf of the bereaved family, brother of the former vice president, Jabesh Amissah-Arthur, expressed gratitude to Ghanaians for their prayers and support since news of the demise of the late vice president broke.

He also expressed appreciation to President Akufo-Addo and the government for deciding to give Amissah-Arthur a state burial and thanked Ghanaians for giving him the opportunity to serve them.

Funeral Arrangements

There will be no wake-keeping and all programmes for the burial of the former vice president will be held on Friday, July 27.

Mourners are expected to file past the body of the deceased to pay their last respects at the foyer of the Accra International Conference Centre from 5am to 9am.

The burial service will take place at the main auditorium of the Accra International Conference Centre from 9am to 12 noon.

Interment would take place at 1pm but the family did not disclose where the body would finally be buried.

According to the family, interment of the body will be private.

In an interview after the ceremony, Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo, said he was shocked to hear the death of the former vice president.

He described the late Amissah-Arthur as a gentleman who served the nation to the best of his ability.

Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, who served as Vice President from 2012 to 2017, collapsed at the Air Force Gym on Friday, June 29 whilst on his regular morning keep-fit exercise, and was rushed to the 37 Military Hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.