John Mahama and the late E.T Mensah
Former President John Dramani Mahama has finally expressed his condolences over the passing of two stalwarts of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) – Enoch Teye Mensah and Dr Sydney Laryea.
ET Mensah, a long-standing member of the NDC and Ghana’s longest-serving Youth and Sports Minister, died on October 1 while receiving treatment at a South African hospital.
Dr Sydney Laryea, NDC’s first National Treasurer, passed away a day later after a short illness.
Mahama, who is expected to be the NDC’s flagbearer for the 2024 elections, took to social media to pay tribute to the two individuals. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, “Very sad to lose two stalwarts of our great party, Hon. ET Mensah and Dr. Sidney Laryea. Both played key roles in shaping the solid rock our party was built on and anchored today.”
While ET Mensah served as the party’s first National Youth Organiser, Dr. Laryea served as the first National Treasurer. Mahama acknowledged their contributions and offered his deepest condolences to both bereaved families.
Arrangements are currently being made by the respective families for the funerals. ET Mensah’s body is expected to be flown to Ghana on October 7. In honour of the two deceased individuals, the NDC has directed that flags at all its offices fly at half-mast.
Speculation arose when Mahama initially remained silent on the passing of ET Mensah, leading some to believe there was bad blood between the two political figures.
Some members of the public attributed this to their differences in governance styles, with Mensah openly criticizing Mahama’s leadership.
Others pointed to Mensah’s decision to serve in the Council of State under the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, which may have strained their relationship.
ET Mensah had an extensive career in politics, serving as the Minister of Youth and Sports in the Rawlings administration and the Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) during the PNDC era.
He also served as the Minister for Employment and Social Welfare under President John Evans Atta Mills.
Tributes are pouring in for the veteran politician, and his funeral and memorial service are expected to be announced soon.
By Vincent Kubi