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My husband didn’t die from food poisoning; he battled a terminal disease – Lilian Kumah
The widow of John Kumah, the late deputy Finance Minister and New Patriotic Party (NPP) member of Parliament (MP) for Ejisu in the Ashanti Region, has emphatically stated that her husband did not die from food poisoning, contrary to circulating reports in sections of mainstream media and social media.
Instead, she clarified that he courageously battled a severe illness for over a year.
Speaking in an interview with Asaase News, Apostle Lilian Kumah said her late husband had been battling with a terminal disease for nearly a year now since it was discovered by his doctors in Germany and that is what her husband succumbed to on Thursday, 7 March 2024, and not food poisoning.
Stop the speculation
In a very sobering and grieving voice, Apostle Mrs. Lilian Kumah, who is also the General Overseer of Disciples of Christ Ministries, asked all those speculating about the cause of the death of her husband to put a stop to it because it is exacerbating the pain of her immediate family and the larger Kumah family.
She also called for swift police action against known persons such as Blessed Godsbrain Smart, popularly known as Captain Smart, who has publicly stated that her late husband was poisoned but has not been made to provide any evidence to prove the wild claim he has made about the death of John Kumah.
“Why is it that someone (referring to Captain Smart) has been this bold to claim that he knows for a fact that a person like John Kumah who has served his country virtually all his life, was poisoned, while he was working for his country and party (New Patriotic Party, NPP), why should we sit down and not bring that person to book.
The August diagnoses
Speaking about the real cause of the death of her husband, Apostle Lilian Kumah pointed out that John Kumah was diagnosed with a blood-related disease sometime in August 2023 in Germany when she accompanied her husband for a medical check-up.
Mrs. Kumah added that throughout all the medical check-ups of her husband in Germany and Ghana, not once did any of the medical doctors they encountered, ever mention the issue of poisoning in the blood vessels of her husband, the late John Kumah.
“My husband went through pain but he never showed that he was in pain. He went through all the pain to do everything he needed to do during the period of his ill-health.
“He was motivated by a particular motto that he always operated by which is, “We don’t do what is convenient, we do what we are commanded to do”. So [despite] all the pain, he endured,” Mrs. Kumah remarked.
“Right from day one since he was diagnosed in Germany, I have been part of the medical processes my husband went through, and no one, none of the doctors ever told me that my husband’s medical situation was because of poisoning.
“I have all the medical reports both from Germany and Ghana and food poisoning has never been mentioned in any of the reports,” the late John Kumah’s widow added.
Last moments
Dr. John Kumah died at about 12:40 PM at the Suhum government hospital after an ambulance he was travelling in together with his wife and medical doctor, from Ejisu to Accra was diverted to the Suhum medical facility when the doctor on board noticed that Mr Kumah’s condition was fast deteriorating.
On arrival at the hospital, a little after 11:00 am on Thursday, 7 March 2024, the medical team tried to stabilize him so he could continue with his journey to Accra for his onward planned journey to Germany where he has been receiving treatment for his health challenge. However, the Suhum government hospital’s efforts failed to keep him alive.
Source: Asaase Radio
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
