Adua for Adams Mahama
The final funeral rites (Adua) of the Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alhaji Adams Mahama, who was soaked in acid by his assailants leading to his death took place in Bolgatanga Sunday.
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The solemn ceremony that was held at the Jubilee Park turned out to be a platform for almost all the political parties notably the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Progressive People's Party (PPP), the People's National Convention (PNC) and the Convention People's Party (CPP) to resolve that never again in the country's democratic dispensation should such dastardly act be committed against anybody.
Security personnel were strategically positioned between the late Chairman's family house and the Jubilee Park.
Mahama's tragic death occurred on Thursday May 21, 2015 after his assailants poured acid on him while he was returning from his construction site on Wednesday, May 20, 2015.
Tension still high
Before the arrival of the dignitaries, a lady who wore a T-Shirt with the inscription "Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong, the destroyers; Se Asa" went round some of the canopies erected at the Jubilee Park and displayed the inscription on the T-shirt to the amazement of the gathering.
A few minutes after this, the Justice for Adams Mahama Youth Group (JAMY) held a press conference at the Adua grounds calling on the Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Alhassan, to invite Messrs Afoko and Mr Agyepong for questioning over the death of the late chairman.
Additionally, after the press conference, the JAMY group went back and brought along some placards to make their voices heard louder but the security personnel and some party executives talked to them and they stopped the protest for the programme to continue.
Messrs Afoko and Agyepong were, however, conspicuously missing at the funeral grounds.
Misunderstanding
At about 12:15 pm, there was a misunderstanding between the Invincible Forces (a security group within the NPP) and the state's security detail at the Adua grounds over who should protect the party's flag bearer and his running mate but that was quickly resolved.
This was during the time Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia were exchanging pleasantries with the gathering.
Prayers
The Regional Chief Imam, Alhaji Yussif Adams, supported by some Muslim clergy offered prayers for the late Mahama and his family.
Nana's arrival
At about 11:55 a.m., Nana Akufo- Addo, his running mate Dr Bawumiah, and their wives Rebecca and Samira respectively as well as other NPP stalwarts arrived at the Adua grounds.
The NPP delegation included the Chairman of the Council of Elders; C.K. Tedam; the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Joe Ghartey; Boniface Agambila, MP for Nabdam; Mr Sammy Awuku; National Youth Organiser, and Mr John Boadu; National Organiser.
Nana Akomea; the NPP Communications Director, Frances Essiam, an NPP party activist; the National Women's Organizer; Miss Otiko Djaba; the First National Vice Chairman; Mr Freddie Blay; a former Minister of Trade and Industry in the Kufuor administration, Mr Alan
Kyerematen, among other NPP bigwigs were also at the funeral.
Both NPP and NDC parliamentarians, heads of departments, chiefs, regional chairmen and national executives of the NPP and NDC, among other dignitaries, were present.
NDC delegation
The Minister for the Interior, Mr Mark Woyongo; the Minister of Environment Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr Mahama Ayariga; the Upper East Regional Minister; Mr James Tiigah; the Northern Regional Minister; Alhaji Muniru Lemuna, and other government functionaries attended the Adua.
There were also NDC party chairmen and executives from across the length and breadth of the country. The First National Vice Chairman of the NDC, Mr. Harry Zakkour was also at the function. There were delegation from the PPP, the PNC and the CPP.
Tributes
In a tribute, Nana Akufo-Addo pleaded with all those who were still peeved about the death of the late Mahama to "treat his death with dignity by allowing the police to conclude investigations into the matter".
"We would, however, not be satisfied until the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the crime; there should be no ifs and buts at the end of the day," he noted.
He also used the occasion to pray for the victims of the Accra floods and inferno at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, saying that "it was indeed a bad day for our country and I wish the injured a speedy recovery while expressing my condolences to the bereaved families".
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He reiterated that the education and welfare of the immediate family of the late Mahama would not be toyed with.
Solidarity messages
The Minister for the Interior, Mr Woyongo, on behalf of the government noted that Alhaji Mahama's death was a loss to the family, the NPP, the region and the entire country.
He assured the family and the entire nation that the perpetrators of the heinous crime would be brought to book.
The Deputy National Organizer of the NDC, Mr Joshua Akamba, for his part observed that what was happening currently was not about politics but about the loss of a soul that was caused by a criminal act hence the perpetrators must be brought to book.
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The General Secretary of the People's National Convention (PNC), Mr Bernard Mornah, said the demise of the late Mahama should be a source of worry for any politician in the region and the country because "it has dented the image of the country's democracy".
The National Chairman of the PPP, Nii Allotey Brew-Hammond, also noted that what happened to the late Mahama was a "blot on the country's democratic credentials; we as PPP have therefore vowed to compete for ideas and we should never again gather to mourn the death of any of our colleagues due to any dastardly act whatsoever".
The Deputy Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr.Dominic Nitiwul on behalf of the MPs, noted that "the perpetrators of the crime against Mahama do not know the magnitude of the problem they have caused the entire nation but time will tell".
The Volta Regional Chairman of the NPP, Mr John Amewu, on behalf of the nine regional chairmen of the party, observed that the late chairman exuded a lot of energy and confidence that made his compatriots to be comfortable any time he was around them.
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Donations
As part of their contribution to support the bereaved family, the flag bearer of the NPP announced a GHC100,000 foundation for the late Mahama.
So far the party has donated GHC43,000 towards that cause. The nine regional NPP Chairmen also announced a GHC90,000 foundation for the late Mahama.
There were other donations from former President, John Agyekum Kufuor who gave GHC5,000.
Nana Akufo-Addo himself donated GHC5,000 while Dr Bawumiah gave GHC5,000, Mr Kyerematen gave GHC,000.
The NPP MPs also gave GHC5,000 while the Upper East Regional branch of the NDC gave GHC1,600 and some food items. There were other individual donations to support the bereaved family.
Indeed some traders cashed in on the occasion as they sold NPP paraphernalia around the entrance of the Jubilee Park.