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“Fare thee well, Aba; Adieu, my dearest love!” – Kufuor’s heartfelt tribute to Theresa
Shortly after what I now perceive as a clearly fore-ordained introduction by our mutual friend Dr Kwame Appiah-Poku, Aba and I met in person on 1 July 1961 at a ball at Battersea Town Hall in London, to celebrate Ghana’s first anniversary as a republic.
Aba had just completed nursing school in Edinburgh and was on her way to pursue a midwifery course at the Radcliffe Infirmary, part of Oxford University. I was also on my way to Exeter College, Oxford, having just passed my Bar exams at Lincoln’s Inn in London.
My first impressions of my beautiful Aba were that of a soft-spoken and well-mannered lady; and
within a year of bonding and courting, we both discovered that we very much enjoyed each other’s
company. We had the same cultural tastes in art, music and cinema and shared similar social
preferences. Consequently, we decided to tie the knot; and this we did at Brompton Oratory in
Knightsbridge, London, on 8 September 1962.
We were joined by Chief, our first male child, on 6 September 1963. By mid-1964, shortly after
completing our studies in Oxford, we moved to London to pursue our respective careers. Our second
child and first daughter, Nana Ama, was born in Golders Green in London on 29 November 1964.
However, due to overwhelming pressure from my family in Kumasi, we decided to return home to
Ghana.
Shortly after our return to Kumasi in January 1965, I joined Okomfo Anokye Chambers as a junior
lawyer with Victor Owusu as senior partner. Aba later joined the Kwame Nkrumah University
hospital as a nurse/midwife. Soon after that, on 4 November 1965, Aba and I welcomed our third
child, Saah, into our rapidly growing family.
Our fourth child, Agyekum, was born on 16 February 1968. By the time he arrived, I was already
embroiled in the web of public service. I had been appointed in 1967 as the chief legal officer and
city manager of the second city of Ghana, Kumasi. That was our entry into civic and public life in
Ghana.
Aba had a very confident personality that fitted in with ease everywhere we went, and which also
allowed her to cope under the most challenging of pressures.
In 1969, I got elected as a Member of Parliament of the Second Republic (for Atwima Nwabiagya
in the Ashanti Region). I then also got appointed as Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
under the premiership of the late Professor Kofi Abrefa Busia. So, our young family had to relocate
from Kumasi to Accra. Aba, to my delight, took our evolving life in her stride as she adjusted
effortlessly, and with confidence, to our new milieu of a life in national politics and diplomacy.
Between 1969 and 1971, with both Aba and me in our early thirties, our lives seemed to be on an
upward trajectory. But this was to be truncated with a shocking and unexpected coup d’état on 13
January 1972, which arrested practically all the members of the government and threw us in prison.
Our world had crashed.
Fifty-four of us, including cabinet ministers, junior ministers and some Members of Parliament,
would remain in jail for a minimum period of between 12 and 15 months each; having initially
endured – incommunicado, for almost eight weeks – denial of any contact with family or the outside
world at Ussher Fort prison. This angel of a woman, to my amazement, would survive the ordeal
of raising five children on her own – in my absence, Aba gave birth to our fifth and last child, Kofi,
as a single parent on 16 June 1972. Her strong and exceptionally disciplined personality did indeed
come to the rescue of our family.
I could not have foreseen the crash that befell us and could not, therefore, have made any provision
for our ordeal. However, Aba rose above that. With her strong, prayerful faith in God, Aba’s spirit
would not and could not be broken. She survived on very little then; and she truly kept our hopes
alive. When allowed to visit me in prison, she left me with a sense of optimism that was most
assuring. I survived my incarceration of 15 months largely because of Aba. She was a woman of
sacrifice, devotion, humanity and resilience.
After my release from detention, she returned to practice nursing at Cocoa Clinic, where she rose
to the position of the clinic’s first-ever matron. Only once did Aba strongly protest about my absence
from home, as my entrepreneurial businesses kept me away for extended periods of time. Her
commitment to our marriage and her exceptional will to be a loving wife, a caring home-maker and
a firm but loving parent have produced the fruit of what our children have become today. She was
firm, yet tender.
When I was elected to office as the second President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana, Aba would
play a pivotal but quiet role in shaping key social interventions, such as including the kindergarten
stage for all the children of Ghana in the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education policy; the
provision of one hot meal a day to primary school children across the nation; the launch of the
National Health Insurance Scheme; and the introduction of free maternal care for all.
She also worked tirelessly as the founder of the Mother and Child Community Development
Foundation to support early childhood development programmes across the country. Her
Foundation built three schools and gifted them to communities in Nyanyanor in the Central Region,
and in Kotobabi and Amansaman in Accra.
Through her Foundation, she also provided a breast cancer screening unit to a health-care services
provider in Sunyani and she assisted bakers in Nsawam and Adoagyiri with baking equipment. She
established a phone-in counselling centre to support and combat the stigmatisation of HIV/Aids
patients. Remarkably, Aba rendered all her community action-based services without seeking any
publicity.
Aba and I shared a gleeful sense of humour, which meant we could laugh at each other; just as we
could naturally forgive each other for our unfailing human shortcomings.
She and I embarked on many trips together as I pursued my political career and after I became
President. However, what touched her most during our international trips was the recognition she
received from Pope Benedict XVI, who bestowed on her the prestigious Papal award of Dame of
St Gregory the Great. Throughout her life, she remained a devout Catholic; a passionate worshipper;
and a chorister of Christ the King Catholic Church in Accra.
Aba, your departure has left an unbridgeable void in my life; but I take solace from the many mercies
and blessings the good Lord has showered on our journey of 62 years: living long; the blessing of
beautiful children; 14 splendid grandchildren; the honour of having served our nation together; the
gift of loving; extended families; and a network of friends around the world.
I am so thankful to the good Lord God for giving you to me as my life partner. Aba, you have earned
your good rest and as the words of the Apostle Paul go: “You have fought the good fight, you have finished the race, you have kept the faith. Now there is in store for you the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to you on that day – and not only to you but also to all who have longed for His appearing.”
Fare thee well, Aba. Adieu, my dearest love!
Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, says more than 15,000 Ghanaian workers have lost their jobs following a directive issued by the Chief of Staff.
According to him, the dismissals affected not only people employed after the 2024 general elections, as stated in the directive, but also workers who had been lawfully employed as far back as 2017.
Raising the issue on the floor of Parliament, Mr. Afenyo-Markin said the Minority uncovered evidence showing serious excesses in the implementation of the directive.
“We became aware that although the letter was specific to those recruited after the 2024 elections, Ghanaian youth who were employed as far back as 2017 were all dismissed from their lawful employment,” he said.
He explained that the Minority filed a motion in Parliament to investigate the matter, which was admitted by the Speaker. However, the process has faced several delays.
According to him, the Majority Leader raised a preliminary objection to the motion, which was upheld by the First Deputy Speaker. The Minority later filed a motion for review under the rules of Parliament, which was also admitted.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin said the review motion was moved by him and seconded by the Member of Parliament for Ofoasi- Ayirebi, while the Majority Chief Whip, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor , began the debate on behalf of the Majority side.
He noted that the House was expected to continue the debate the following Tuesday to allow the Speaker to rule on the matter, but this has not happened due to other parliamentary business.
“Several times the motion appeared on the Order Paper, but we could not take it,” he stated.
The Minority Leader stressed that the delay is having serious consequences for affected workers and their families.
“This is a matter that affects the livelihood of Ghanaians. We have in excess of 15,000 Ghanaian youths affected by this directive, and they are still at home,” he said.
He added that the Minister for Employment has acknowledged receiving petitions on the issue and has initiated investigations, but said that should not stop Parliament from carrying out its own inquiry.
“These Ghanaian youths are sitting at home. Their wives, their extended families are all affected. It has been over a year, and they are not getting any justice,” he added.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin appealed to the Leader of Government Business to ensure that the motion is included in Parliament’s report and debated to allow the House to make a final decision on the matter.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Director of Communications for the United Party, Solomon Owusu, has expressed strong disappointment following the Supreme Court decision to quash the rerun of the Kpandai parliamentary election.
Mr Owusu made his views known while reacting to the ruling, stressing that he would feel deeply disappointed if he were in the position of Matthew Nyindam, the current Member of Parliament for Kpandai.
He explained that the High Court had earlier examined the case in detail and arrived at a clear determination on the matter.
According to him, the High Court found that the election was compromised and that rigging took place with the involvement of the Electoral Commission.
Mr Owusu pointed out that when the New Patriotic Party moved the case to the Supreme Court, it did not challenge the substance of the High Court findings.
He stated that the appeal was based purely on a point of law, arguing that the National Democratic Congress was time barred when it went to court, and not that the alleged rigging did not occur.
In his view, this means that Mr Nyindam remains in Parliament through an election process that did not reflect the true will of the people of Kpandai.
Mr Owusu noted that this was why he had expected a rerun of the election, to allow the MP to return to the constituency and properly establish his authority through the ballot.
He explained that a rerun would have given Mr Nyindam the opportunity to prove that he genuinely won the 2024 parliamentary election.
With the rerun now quashed, Mr Owusu questioned how the MP could celebrate or take pride in the court outcome.
He stressed that he would no longer take contributions made by Mr Nyindam in Parliament seriously, as the legitimacy of his mandate remains questionable in his view.
Mr Owusu further argued that the Supreme Court decision has shortchanged the people of Kpandai.
He described the ruling as unfair to voters who woke up early on election day, queued patiently, and voted for a candidate of their choice, only for their will to be undermined.
According to him, the outcome raises serious concerns about justice, electoral credibility, and respect for the democratic rights of the people.
By: Jacob Aggrey
