Wiredu Buried

President John Agyekum Kufuor and his wife Theresa yesterday joined hundreds of sympathizers and friends at the forecourt of the State House in Accra to mourn Ghana's former Chief Justice, Mr. Justice Edward Kwame Wiredu, who passed away on Thursday January 31, 2008.

Among other prominent citizens who paid their last respects to the late legal luminary were the former Vice President and flag-bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Prof J.E.A. Mills; Speaker of Parliament Ebenezer Sekyi-Hughes; ministers of state; the clergy; and the academia.

In a tribute read on his behalf, President Kufuor commended the late Chief Justice for his assertiveness and exemplary sense of independence which had become a reference point in the country.

He said though Mr. Wiredu served as Chief Justice for only two years, his impact on the Judiciary and the country's Constitution was felt every where.

“During the brief period, he effected changes. He was an agent of change; positive change, indeed. He planted trees which have today blossomed with several reforms within the Judiciary,” he said.

President Kufuor described Justice Wiredu's tenure as “a watershed in the administration of justice in Ghana”.

He mentioned the courtroom automation system, the fast track court and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), and the Judicial Training Institute as his creations, which had contributed effectively to justice delivery in the country.

The Judicial Training Institute, for example according to the President, had resulted in effective and sustainable education to members of the Judiciary and the judicial staff, in addition to being a model to other countries.

President Kufuor said even though the late Chief Justice was dead, there was the need to celebrate his life.

“He deserved praise because he was great and famous. He was a lawyer's lawyer, a true gentleman who was always immaculately dressed.”

In a sermon titled: “Pursuing A Heart of Wisdom”, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Most Rev. Dr. Robert Aboagye Mensah, said though the late judge was a very learned personality, “much learning did not make him think there was no God.

“He had a strong belief in God and lived his life as living it for God.”

He called on Ghanaians to let Justice Wiredu's life serve as a reminder that “wherever we find ourselves, we should be guided by justice and fairness and do away with corruption.

“A wiseman does not twist facts and does not manipulate situations. Our lives should be conscious that death is also part of life”, the Bishop said, adding, “It is appointed for man to die and then face judgment.”

The 73-year-old former Chief Justice, who spent 34 years in public service, was described by most of his admirers as a martinet.

Tributes and wreaths were presented by several individuals and organizations including the Methodist Church, the Ghana Bar Association, the deceased's children, his wife Emelia, who lived with him for 42 years, and the judiciary.

Old Boys of the Cape Coast-based Adisadel College, his former school, sang the school anthem in his honour. Those who sang included Speaker Sekyi Hughes; his first Deputy, Freddie Blay; Prof Christopher Ameyaw-Ekumfi, Minister of Ports, Harbours and Railways; and Mr. Alan Kyerematen, former Minister of President's Special Initiative, Trade and Industry.

The body of the late Chief Justice, who left behind a wife, nine children and 19 grandchildren, was carried away into a waiting hearse at about 12:15pm, to Kumawu, his hometown in the Ashanti Region, for the final burial rites.

By Sylvanus Nana Kumi