Akufo-Addo declares state of national mourning

President Nana Akufo-Addo has announced a state of national mourning with all Ghana flags expected to fly at half-mast in honour of the late Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur.

President Akufo-Addo made the revelation when he visited Mrs. Matilda Amissah-Arthur and the family to commiserate with them over the loss on Tuesday 3 June 2018.

Mr Akufo-Addo, further explained that the former Vice President will receive a state burial and assured the family of his support explaining that the country has lost an important servant of the state.

Mr Amissah-Arthur collapsed at the Airforce Gym during a morning workout session and was rushed to the 37 Military Hospital where he was pronounced dead on Friday, 29 June 2018.

Member of Parliament for Adaklu, Kwame Agbodza, had earlier questioned why a state of national mourning has not been declared several days after the passing of Mr Amissah-Arthur.

He told Class91.3FM that: “The President’s unprecedented decision not to declare a state of mourning for the demise of our Vice-President is quite curious. He was in a rush to publish on his Facebook [wall] his condolences, so, I’m wondering what prevented him from doing the honourable thing by declaring a state of mourning?”

Mr Agbodza said the president’s failure to do what has been customary in Ghanaian politics, will dent his image.

For him, a state of national mourning has nothing to do with a holiday and such a period can be used to reflect on ways to improve Ghana’s health delivery system, since the former Vice-President was failed by Ghana’s health system.

“People have had heart attacks and other things and they have survived simply because the support system is there… Even if he was put in a limousine, it is of no use because an ambulance has got some first aid and paramedics who can administer a certain level of resuscitation before you get to the health facility. The system failed him and if it failed him, it can fail you and me and a vast majority of other people,” he stressed.

Mr Agbodza entreated officialdom to prioritise health delivery and ensure that the country is able to deliver the best services to avoid preventable deaths.