SDA sets up Endowment Fund for Easter accident victims

The leadership of the Seventh-Day Adventist church (SDA) has set up an endowment fund to cater for families of the nine people who lost their lives during a fatal accident during the Easter period.

The church said a chunk of the fund - with a seed money of GH�50,000 - will be used to sponsor the education of children left behind by the nine victims.

At a mass funeral for the church members who perished in the tragic accident, Communications Director at the North Ghana Union Mission, Pastor Fred Agyei-Baah, told Nhyira News that the church will also pay the hospital unpaid bills of all the victims.

The church has already started raising funds for that objective, he said.

The mass funeral was held at Ahwiaa in the Kwabre District of Ashanti Region.

Emotions flared as all the nine bodies - made up of five males and four females - including a father and his two kids lay in state in white-coffins.

The casket of 44-year old James Appiah and his two children, Sylvester 7 years and Andrews aged 9 years stood close-by.

The coffin that drew most sorrow from the observers at the somber mass funeral was that of a 9-month old baby, Blessing Akyempim Asenso.

Other victims include Emmanuel Atta Boateng-63 and a teacher, Joseph Boakye-58 and herbalist; Margaret Nyarko-54. Others are Theresa Twumasi, trader- 33 and teenager Deborah Effa-17.

Relatives as well as church members wept uncontrollably as they filed past the remains of the deceased who died in that gory accident at Tano Odumase less than five minutes drive from Agona where they witnessed the inauguration of a new conference of the church.

Nana Yaw Attakora who speaks for the late Atta Boateng family told Nhyira News the vacuum created by the loss the church members cannot be filled.

“Very huge loss because he [Atta Boateng] is a pillar; encourager, an inspirer, peacemaker. In fact, we have lost a gem and we will really miss his absence in the family.

Dr Gilbert Wari who heads the church in 22 countries in the West-Central African Division with headquarters in Cote d'Ivoire, in a sermon, appealed to relatives and the church to accept the loss as a divine intervention.

“Today we are mourning here. It's because we can't see the end. If we could see the end, we would be rejoicing here. As we go and lay our brothers and sisters into the grave today, we need to remember that it is because God has decided this way, his will be done”. Dr. Wari emphasized.

According to Pastor Agyei-Baah, the church will continue to support victims as it set up an Endowment Fund in the wake of having to settle huge medical bills.

'There is so much to be done because that is debt that is already there. So what we have in mind is to put up an endowment fund in place so that we can have some funds to take care of those ones who are at the hospital and at the same time we take care of the children of the ones who are dead so that we would be able to take them through school. In fact, we have so many bills to settle at the hospital”. Pastor Agyei-Baah revealed.

The burial service was nearly turned into a campaign ground by both National Democratic Congress and the opposition New Patriotic Party as they took turns to speak. First it was MP for Kwabre East, Kofi Frimpong, followed by Sir John and Kumasi mayor, Kojo Bonsu.

Kumasi Mayor, Kojo Bonsu, who represented President John Mahama pledged government's support to the church.

Former General Secretary of NPP, Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie, donated GH�5000 on behalf of party's flagbearer, Nana Akuffo-Addo.