Bawku stands still for Hawa

Activities in the Bawku township virtually came to a standstill as the coffin of the late Madam Hawa Yakubu arrived there on Friday evening en-route to her hometown, Pusiga for burial and funeral ceremonies.

Both old and young onlookers gathered along the principal street right from the southern outskirts of the town to Sabon Geri, at the northern edge of Bawku.

The body arrived at exactly 18:25 hours at a time for the Islamic evening prayers, but most sympathisers sacrificed this ritual in order to pay their last respect to the late Hawa.

Uneasiness nearly set in when word filtered round that the plane carrying the body could not land at the Paga Airstrip due to a technical hitch and had had to fly over to the Tamale Airport.

Earlier, the town was full of posters pasted on trees along the streets and on most vehicles with some mourners wearing T-shirts that were used in Madam Hawa's electioneering campaigns in the 2004 elections and for the funeral.

It was a pathetic sight when the body finally arrived at Pusiga, where both the young and old were seen wailing uncontrollably.

A lady believed to be in her mid forties died on the spot, while on her way to the funeral grounds when her motorcycle was involved in an accident.