June 3 disaster: Ghana mourns
United in grief, Ghanaians Wednesday turned up in their numbers at the forecourt of the State House for an emotional national memorial service for victims of the June 3 Accra twin disasters.
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Politicians, the clergy, public and civil servants, the self-employed and members of the Diplomatic Corps, all assembled in black outfits for the event.
Death toll rise
Torrential rains wreaked havoc on Accra and the death toll from the resultant flood and fire disasters has been put at 152.
The sombre mood at the memorial service, which ended three days of national mourning declared by the President, attested to the extent to which the tragedy shocked the nation.
Worst disaster
Last week's disaster in Accra is the worst in the county's history and it exposed the deficiencies in the planning and development of the capital city.
Attendance
President John Mahama, the chief mourner, was in attendance.
Also present were the Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur; former Presidents Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor, as well the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho and the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Theodora Wood.
Funeral
The service began with Muslim prayers by the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Usman Nuhu Sharubutu, who prayed to Allah to lift all misfortunes from the country.
Throughout the event, the central message from religious leaders and the President was: 'Never again should Ghana go through such a calamity.'
Prayers
Bereaved families, who were in their numbers at the memorial, wept uncontrollably, while others struggled to hold back tears, when Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams of the Action Chapel preceded his intercessional prayer with the moving hymn composed by Philip Bliss:
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Archbishop Duncan-Williams, together with other bishops, offered prayers for the bereaved families, the nation and survivors of the tragedy, especially those still on admission in hospitals.
Sermon
In a sermon that drew intermittent applause from the gathering, the Head of the Eastwood Anaba Ministries, Rev. Eastwood Anaba, said even as Ghana lamented the devastation caused by the disasters, it was important for all to realise that weeping and prayers alone would not solve the problems that confronted the capital city and, indeed, the entire nation.
"We are a nation of prayer but let's add positive action to it," he said, quoting copiously from the Scriptures to buttress his assertion that hard work paid.
He focused on national leaders, engineers and even ordinary citizens and said all had a role to play to change the fortunes of the country.
Disasters, he said, were no respecter of persons, adding, "This was a fire without political colours, a flood without political colours and social status or tribal colours."
The renowned preacher urged the nation to make good use of the repertoire of knowledge its ex-Presidents had acquired.
“We have two ex-Presidents, monumental figures I have strongly admired over the years, and they are reservoirs of wisdom we can fall on,” he stated.
Ghana will rise
Amidst all the pain and agony that had befallen the nation, the man of God was optimistic that Ghana would come out stronger.
"Today, we see ourselves in fear and intoxicated in uncertainty in the country. But I believe Ghana can rise from the situation, with God on our side.
"Just as Jesus died and that death unified the world, so do we want to see the Accra tragedy unify the nation," he said.