Thousands attend special funeral ceremony… For late President Mills

From Samuel Agbewode
The Volta Regional capital, Ho, was thrown into a state of mourning on yesterday, following a massive funeral ceremony organised by the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) for the late President John Evans Atta Mills, ahead of the planned national funeral and burial service.

As a result, economic activities in the regional capital and other major commercial towns in the region came to a standstill, and particularly the Ho township, which could best be described as a cemetery, because both the old and the young had converged at the sports stadium to observe the special regional funeral.

Thousands of people across the region thronged Ho as early as 6:00 a.m. as almost all stores, including those at the Ho Central Market were closed.

Most taxi drivers did not operate, with red and black colours adorning all corners of the town, with the portrait of the late President on placards, some of which read: 'President Mills a Man of peace rest in peace,' and 'President Mills people of Volta Region love you but God loves you best.'

The special funeral began with a special procession through the principal streets of Ho, with thousands of Voltarians clad in red and black, a development which the capital had never before experienced.

The day was described as 'Honours Day' for the late President, rather than a funeral celebration, by the chiefs and people of the region.

The special funeral ceremony for the late President was very unique, as prominent chiefs and queenmothers in the region were seen in the streets of Ho accompanied by the various 'asafo' dancing groups, as well as other local musical groups, singing and dancing solemnly to mourn the late President.

Finally, the special funeral exposed one thing, which was that the Ho Sports Stadium was not big enough or lacked facilities to accommodate the thousands of mourners who gathered there to show their final respects to the late President, hence the need to upgrade the place to appreciable standards.

'My brothers and sisters, norvinyewo medo gbena mi kata,' the usual expression the late President John Atta Mills used anytime he addressed the chiefs and people of the Volta Region was remembered at the special funeral when the Volta Regional Minister, Mr. Henry Ford Kamel, who addressed the large crowed, said that the region was the second home of the late President, but unfortunately, he would no more be seen again, which sent many people weeping.

Mr. Kamel, whose physical appearance clearly showed that he had been weeping, as his eyes looked very red, gathered courage and told the people that now that President Mills had passed away, the chiefs and people of the Volta Region would continue to appreciate the peaceful nature of the late President.

He said the large crowd was manifestation of the love the chiefs and people of the region had for the late president, who had equally showed respect and love for the people of the Volta Region until his untimely death.

Mr. Kamel said the special funeral, which was jointly organised by the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC), the Ho Municipal Assembly, and the Asogli Traditional Council, was in view of the numerous development projects, completed and ongoing, in the region, in areas such as education, health and the provision of social amenities to improve on the living standard of the people without discrimination.

The sad looking Regional Minister pointed out that the chiefs and people of the region would continue to remember the late President many years to come, because he was able to establish a state-owned University of Health and Allied Sciences for the region.

He further noted that because of the special love the President had shown for Ghanaians and the Volta Region in particular, the history of the region would be incomplete without mention of the late President Mills.

Mr. Kamel advised the people of the region, and Ghanaians in general, to ensure that the demise of the late President would bring unity among the people, who should see themselves as one people with a common destiny, as demonstrated by the late Prof. Mills.

'His death has united us than ever before, because at least, since his death, we are all mourning him, wearing the same red and black shirts, and clothes, which has made all of us to put aside our political affiliations where there is no NDC, NPP, CPP, PPP and PNC, but what we all know now is that our President passed away, and we are mourning him,' the Minister stressed.

Various groups, including traditional authorities, civil society groups, the regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), political parties such as the New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), Convention Peoples Party (CPP) and the Progressive People's Party (PPP) all expressed their condolences to Ghanaians and the families of the late President.

The Volta Regional Chairman of the NPP, Mr. Kenwuud Nuworsu, in the company of other regional executives of the party, signed the book of condolence opened at the VRCC on behalf of the regional executives, and described the late President as a calm and peace loving person in the discharge of his duties.

Present at the ceremony included the Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Mr. Henry Ametefe, Ho Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Isaac Kodobisah, almost all the 18 Municipal and District Chief Executives in the region, and prominent chiefs and queenmothers in the region.