FUNERAL TRIBUTES MUST HONOUR THE DEAD
The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Danqua Akufo-Addo
introduced a new dimension into funeral tributes in the homage he paid to the
late Hon. Theresa Ameley Tagoe last weekend.
Akufo-Addo, who had so many good things to say about the former NPP Women’s
organizer, did not find it expedient to begin his tribute with these very
beautiful things he remembers about the late MP but her ‘bottoms.’
Indeed, as acknowledged by many men of God who spoke to The Daily Democrat,
funeral tributes are meant to provide honour, respect, love and blessings to
loved ones who are have been called unto the Lord and are in heaven. They are to
make departed ones feel they are still loved, cared and missed.
Funeral tributes in the form of poems, speeches, songs, presentations and other
readings make a funeral day most special and memorable. Suggestions are
therefore that a person should choose one of the best ways to pay tribute to
their loved ones on their funeral day.
People write tributes in order to express their immense and deep feelings more
affectionately.
The question therefore is, what feelings did the NPP presidential candidate
tried to invoke in the tribute he read to the late Hon. Ameley Tago titled
‘Farewell Bottoms – Tribute to a woman of valour.’
Nobody can deny that the late Ablekuma South MP is truly a woman of valour, a
woman whose footprints in the democratic path of the country will be in pure
gold and whose contribution to Ghana’s democratic dispensation raises the
profile of women in governance to a whole new level.
Couldn’t Nana Addo have chosen any of these beautiful virtues of this woman
leader to begin his tribute instead of referring to her as ‘BOTTOMS’, even if
this was a term the two of them shared when she was alive, and especially when
he insisted the word is confidential?
If Akufo-Addo had been able to keep the term confidential when Hon. Ameley Tagoe
was alive, then simple courtesy demands that he keeps it strictly confidential
in her absence, particularly when she is not around to respond to it.
Admittedly, the word ‘BOTTOMS’ could be nothing really but to have the
presidential candidate of a political party emphasizing it in his funeral
tribute pushed many grabbing their dictionaries.
The Encarta dictionary, for instance, defines BOTTOM thus:lowest part: the
lowest or deepest part of something;underside: the underneath side or surface of
something;farthest point: the part of something that is farthest away.
Since Akufo-Addo himself has proclaimed the term is confidential and would
remain so, well-wishers of the late MP are forced to search for the simple
meaning in the dictionary and clearly it was repugnant and highly inappropriate
for the NPP flagbearer to have used the term at such a solemn occasion. He
should have allowed the word to be buried along with the late Hon. Ameley Tagoe.
The NPP presidential candidate did not do justice to the deceased he tried to
eulogize when in the very first three lines of his tribute he described her as
the most vocal spirit in Volta Hall, THE CYNOSURE OF ALL HEALTHY YOUNG MALES AT
LEGON.
Sorry to say but Akufo-Addo’s description of Volta Hall in his tribute is
reminiscent to dogs’ mating season when HEALTHY MALE DOGS in a vicinity will
descend upon one house where there is a bitch to fight for their turn.
The opening part of his tribute is therefore an insult not only to the late
Ameley Tagoe but also to all ladies of Volta Hall, both past and present.
The ladies of Volta Hall have already made their sentiments known to the NPP
flagbearer and the Ghanaian public. The ball is now in his court to do the right
thing by retracting these insulting comments.
However, Nana Addo can also choose to ignore these voices of protests to
emphasize his evaluation of Volta Hall and its female occupants.
Disgracing Volta Hall Ladies
Akufo-addo must retract and apologise
source :Daily Democrat
THE New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate for 2012, Nana Akufo-Addo
must retract and render an unconditional apology to the family of the late
Theresa Tagoe and Volta Hall ladies, both past and present for his unguarded
remarks about the Hall.
Nana in a tribute to the late Theresa Tagoe, an alumni of University of Ghana
over the weekend, described Volta Hall as a cynosure of healthy strong men .This
statement has been described as unfortunate especially since it was made by no
mean a person than someone aspiring to the highest office of the land.
Female students from University of Ghana are not happy and are calling for the
NPP leader to retract the statement and apologise.
In Nana’s attempt to tell the whole world how well he knew the late Theresa
Tagoe, former NPP member of Parliament and Minister of State in the Kufuor-led
administration, he ended up disgracing and insulting the deceased and
womanhood.
The honourable thing for Nana to do now is to retract and apologise to the
family of the late Theresa Tagoe and Ghanaian women for his derogatory remarks.
It is significant to note that a lot of former female students of Volta Hall
have occupied key positions in the country or are still occupying these
positions and contributing significantly to the nation’s socio-economic
development.
These women are our cherished mothers and sisters who we respect a lot and
therefore any attempt to drag their hard won reputation into disrepute must be
condemned.
It is time our leaders learn what is meant for public consumption and what is
not.
