Grace Coleman Is Dead

INHABITANTS OF Effiduase/Asokore constituency in the Ashanti region have expressed utter shock at the demise of Hon. Grace Coleman, former Member of Parliament (MP) for the area.

Reportedly, the former Deputy Minister of Finance under ex-President Kufuor’s first term of office passed away at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra on Thursday evening after a protracted illness.

Reports indicate that the country’s former ambassador to the Netherlands under the late President Liman’s regime was on admission at the nation’s premier hospital for three weeks after she went into coma at home.

The late Mrs. Coleman, who represented the Effiduase/Asokore constituents in the august house of Parliament from 1996 to 2004, on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), was cut off completely from the political scene due to protracted illness.

Due to ill-health, the celebrated economist, who was billed to represent her constituents at the legislature for the fourth time had to back down, a development which saw the incumbent MP, Hon Frank Agyen, replacing her.

In a telephone interview with DAILY GUIDE, the NPP constituency secretary, Aseidu Fofie disclosed that residents of the constituency, irrespective of their political affiliation, were devastated by the news of the death of Hon Coleman. He noted that the whole constituency, particularly Effiduase, went dead silent on Friday afternoon when news broke that Hon Coleman had passed on to the eternal world.

Mr. Fofie, who predicted a well-deserving final funeral rite in honour of the departed legislator, said the NPP constituency executives were meeting to discuss a possible programme of activities as regards the death of their party guru. Touching on the achievements and contributions of the late Deputy Finance Minister, he observed that the vacuum created by the demise of Hon Coleman would be difficult to fill.

Meanwhile, Hon Elizabeth Agyeman, MP for Oforikrom, has told Hello Fm, a Kumasi-based radio station that the late madam Coleman was a role model who would be missed forever, especially women parliamentarians.

She indicated that the late diplomat would not only be missed dearly for her compassion towards the cause of women and children, but also her rich counsel and guidance to MP’s, particularly female debutants.

From Morgan Owusu, Kumasi