Family members and sympathizers filing past the casket that contained the mortal remains
Confusion raised its ugly head during the funeral and burial ceremony of coach Herbert Addo in Aburi over the weekend.
Family members reduced the deceased wife Mrs Gifty Acquah Addo to a mere laughing stock which was witnessed by the large crowd that attended the farewell ceremony.
The late coach’s brothers rejected the canopy reserved for them, blocked some roads in anger and phrases like ‘so called wife’ was a common feature in their utterances.
Jeers and hooting greeted the announcement of the widow’s name and was taken a notch higher when she read her tribute tearfully.
The customary send-off rites by the widow for her departed husband witnessed same treatment; with the departed family members restraining the widow from carrying on the practice with shouts, with constant shout “Ye ngye o-o-o ye ngye” literally meaning ‘we will not accept it.’
The irate families behavior angered the officiating minister Very Reverend Crowther Hagan who advised that the family exercise decorum, but they ignored his admonishing.
Two of his three brothers- Philip and Isaac Addo, denied knowledge of the woman referring to her as ‘so called wife’.
To them, the family was unaware of any union between coach Addo and Gifty pointing out that Mrs. Addo forced their brother into marriage amidst protests from the family.
“The family was left in the dark over the whole funeral arrangement. When someone dies, it’s the family who takes the key decisions but the family had no idea how the funeral arrangements were done. We asked questions and tried to make peace but that was never achieved. Herbert left behind a lot of properties and we believe it’s the reason the funeral has been hijacked by his wife,” said the brothers.
The brothers added “Herbee (Herbert) told me about his engagement and I asked him to hold on because he was unwell but few days later he defied my advice and married her without the family’s consent.
“The woman pressurize my dad a lot to the extent that she had to buy her own engagement ring. My dad was exhausted after the event so he had to take days off to rest.
“I was with him a day before he died and he complained bitterly about the woman,” Perpetual, one of his five daughters bemoaned.
Addo, 66, trained clubs like Accra Great Olympics (twice), Sekondi Hasaacas, Kumasi Cornerstone (where he won the WAFU Champions Cup in 1987), Goldfields (now Ashanti Gold), Asante Kotoko, Accra Hearts of Oak, GHAPOHA, Okwawu United, Samartex FC, Gamba All Blacks, Pure Joy, Wassaman, and Inter Allies.
He is survived by a wife and five children.
From Kofi Owusu Aduonum, Aburi