Don't make political gains out of Bature's death - Family cautions politicians

The family of the late political commentator and Managing Editor of the Al-Hajj newspaper, Alhaji Bature Iddrisu, has issued a statement cautioning politicians to desist from using the death of the late renowned journalist to make political gains.

Spokesperson for the family, Mr Amos Blessing Amorse in a statement said the Iddrisu family is extremely scandalised by the inexorable attempts by some political entrepreneurs to score despicable political points with the sudden death of Alhaji Bature Iddrisu by launching unwarranted attacks on former President John Dramani Mahama for not showing up at the burial service of their late brother.

According to the statement, the contributions of the former President Mahama; his brother, Mr Ibrahim Mahama and the Mahama family in general, from the day the late Alhaji Bature Iddrisu was admitted at the hospital, to the time of his death and its aftermath, are too great a virtue for the Iddrisu family to gross over.

The statement continued: ‘’ while they acknowledge the inherent rights of any person or group of persons to criticize the former president, it strongly objects to crafty attempts to use the death of their late brother as fertile political grounds to sow seeds of political profiteering.

“We believe the Mahama family came to the rescue of our late brother at the time he needed them most and the best way to reciprocate is to appreciate their kind gesture”, it concluded.

The statement is coming on the heels of scathing attacks hurled on former President John Dramani Mahama by Dela Cofiie, a member of the NDC for failing to postpone the unity walk which was held on Saturday.

The outspoken member who has been denied by the NDC’s General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia had said I am so shocked. Pleasantly shocked. A party stalwart and a hero has fallen. He is due to be interred later this afternoon. The man he defended with his life, toiled and "died for" is on a self promotional tour ("unity walk"), amidst fanfare, pomp and pageantry, and without an ounce of respect to the fallen activist? Couldn't the organisers of the so-called unity walk pushed it to a later date in honour of Alhaji's demise? Does the death of #AlhajiBature mean anything to John Mahama? And is the NDC worth dying for? Is anyone else sick of this? The lack of empathy is so shocking. May the Almighty God have mercy on us all. Rest well, Alhaji....’’

Below is the full statement from the family

The Iddrisu family is extremely scandalized by the inexorable attempts by some political entrepreneurs to score despicable political points with the sudden death of Alhaji Bature Iddrisu by launching unwarranted scathing attacks on former President John Dramani Mahama.

While we acknowledge the inherent rights of any person or group of persons to criticize the former President, we strongly object to crafty attempts to use the death of our late brother as fertile political grounds to sow seeds of political profiteering.

The contributions of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama; his brother, Mr Ibrahim Mahama and the Mahama family in general, from the day the late Alhaji Bature Iddrisu was admitted at the hospital, to the time of his death and its aftermath, are too great a virtue for the Iddrisu family to gross over.

We believe the Mahama family came to the rescue of our late brother at the time he needed them most and the best way to reciprocate is to appreciate their kind gesture.

We don't have the authority of the Mahama family to make public their contributions to Alhaji Bature prior to his death, but if there was any creature on earth who took special interest in the upkeep of him while on admission at the hospital, it was the Mahama family.

For the records, the former President was in touch with us while in Techiman, and indeed joined the Muslim community in Techiman zongo to observe jannaiza prayers prior to the burial of Alhaji Bature.

A minute of silence was observed during the Unity Walk in Techiman in memory of the fallen Hero.

The former President sent entourage led by Alhaji Collins Dauda and other NDC stalwarts to represent him at the burial ceremony due to his absence as a result of circumstances beyond his control.

It is awfully shocking that persons who never checked up on Alhaji Bature while on his sick bed and never showed up for his burial rites or called to check up on arrangements, are the ones demonizing those who singlehandedly stood by him in times of difficulty.

We are by this statement warning any person or group of persons who wants to latch on Alhaji Bature's death to settle political scores to desist from it immediately.

We have lost a national hero, and the best we can do to preserve his legacy and memory is to pray for his soul to rest in peace.