… As Prez Announces State Burial For Late Amissah Arthur
President Akufo Addo has directed that flags throughout the Country should fly at half-mast for the next five days in honour of the late former Vice President of the Republic, Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur. Additionally, the President said the late Vice President will be given a full state burial.
Addressing a twenty-member delegation, led by brother of the late vice president, Jabesh Amissah Arthur at the Jubilee House, President Akufo Addo said even though the late vice president’s wish was to have a very simple and brief ceremony by way of a funeral after his passing, he is owned by the State having served as Vice President of the country. The President requested the family in the deliberations to make room for the State to pay its full respect to the late former vice president.
Book of Condolence
The President in his speech also indicated that he has directed the State Protocol department to open a book of condolence at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) for the general public. Additionally, all embassies across the country will open books of condolences for Ghanaians in the diaspora to also sign and pay their respect.
Family of the Late Vice President
In his address on behalf of the family, Jabesh Amissah Arthur, said the family together with State Protocol officials have had very fruitful discussions on the proposed State funeral for the late former Vice President. To that end, as part of the funeral process, the family will hold a church service on Friday the 6th of July 2018, to observe one week since his passing. He disclosed that at the one week celebration, the family will announce all the plans for the final funeral rites of the late former Vice President.
The former Vice President, Amissah-Arthur, reportedly collapsed at the Air Force Gym, in the early hours of Friday the 26th of June 2018. He was rushed to the 37 Military Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
The Delegation
The delegation to Jubilee house was led by Jabesh Amissah-Arthur, Osabarima of Ogua Traditional area, Nana Kwesi Attah II, and leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu. The remaining members of the delegation are: Alhaji Baba Kamara, Ruby Armstrong Mensah, Kwesi Anamoah, Cecilia Sowah, Frank Hutchful, Daada Hutchful, Benyiwa Dogoe, Johanna Ankrah, Faustina Kodjo, John Derby Amissah-Arthur, Nana Brew-Butler, Emelia Arthur, James Agyenim Boateng, Araba Amissah-Arthur, and Dr. Kwesi Nyan Amissah-Arthur, Son of the late former Vice President.
Profile of the Late Amissah-Arthur
Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, born April 29, 1951, was an economist, academic and politician who was the fifth Vice-President of Ghana, in office from August 6, 2012, until January 7, 2017, under President John Dramani Mahama. Previously he was Governor of the Bank of Ghana from 2009 to 2012. He was sworn in as Vice-President on August 6, 2012, following vetting by the Parliament of Ghana.
He was nominated by President John Dramani Mahama to be the vice-president a week after Mahama himself was sworn in. This followed the sudden death of John Atta Mills on July 24, 2012. Amissah-Arthur was a research assistant at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research between 1974 and 1975. He later joined the Economics Department as a teaching assistant from 1977 to 1978, going on to become an assistant lecturer in 1979. He lectured at the Department of Economics at the University of Ghana between 1980 and 1988.
