Kufuor Storms "JJ’s House"

THE WAVES of the Keta sea became silent and every activity on the premises of the Keta Senior High came to a sudden halt, except for the thunderous shouts of various attributes by the mammoth gathering to welcome ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor when he stormed the stronghold of the ruling NDC with the most powerful NPP delegation the Volta Region has ever witnessed.

The mission of the NPP gurus in Keta, Jerry John Jerry John Rawlings’ hometown, with such force of unity, was not that simple; it was the saddest and most difficult moment for the entire party, especially Mr. Kufuor, as he said an eternal goodbye to a faithful friend, Major (Rtd) Courage Kobla Quashigah- the man who had left an indelible footprint in the history of Ghanaian politics.

Mr Kufuor’s arrival brought proceedings to a grinding halt, as the gathering moved from their seats to welcome and sympathise with him for losing a friend and a confidant, with many wondering if there could ever be a replacement for the man whose military-style entry into the party turned things around.

The security had no alternative but to leave the crowd to do their own thing, after all efforts to control them failed. It took about two hours for proceedings to continue.

In the ex-President Kufuor-led entourage were his wife Theresa, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, Nana Akufo-Addo, Aliu Mahama, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Stephen Ntim, Tommy Amematekpor, Kwamena Bartels, Kenwuud Nuworsu, Yaw Osafo Marfo, Papa Owusu Ankomah and hundreds of NPP bigwigs.

Missing however was ex-President Jerry John Rawlings, Quashigah’s kinsman; the man whose life was saved by the then Captain Quashigah when he foiled the coup that would have cut short the life of the PNDC government.

The ruling NDC was however represented by the Defence Minister, Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Col (rtd) Cyril Neku and Victor Gbeho.

Mrs Gertrude Quashigah, wife of the deceased, could not come to terms with the fact that her husband was no longer among the living.

“I have looked back over the three decades of a great relationship with Courage, my dear husband, and I still cannot understand why God could not, in spite of all the odds, allow my husband to meet his warranty of three scores and ten at the least. I cannot query God.

No I can’t; for the Lord reminds me under all circumstances to give thanks, for His ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts,” she lamented.

She expressed the belief that her husband was safely home because he showed signs of knowing where he was going and why he was being called.

She recalled how her husband fell into coma for hours on his sick bed in Israel and when he came back to life, he told her, “All that happened for hours was a ceremony and I will soon become a spirit and will be on a journey for an assignment to transform the whole world and not a nation.”

Mrs Quashigah was sad that her husband would not accompany her to Geneva on March 27, 2010 to receive a Quality Production and Technology Award as he had promised, saying, “How can I go to Geneva for an award just two weeks after your burial? This is not possible without you.”

The NPP, in a tribute read by Chairman Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, described Quashigah as an active member of the party in the days when it was a taboo to mention NPP in the Volta Region.

“In August 1998, he contested the National Organiser position in the party and won over Alhaji Inusah who later defected to the NDC.

“Major (rtd) Quashigah’s membership in cabinet for eight years,” he observed, “is ample testimony not only to his effectiveness and competence but also ex-President Kufour’s confidence in him,” expressing regret that the deceased should depart at a time the party needed his knowledge and wise counsels.

His death, which had created a vacuum that could not be easily filled, Mr Obetsebi Lamptey noted, was not only a great loss to the NPP but Ghana as a nation.

According to him, “Courage will be missed by all party faithful as he was friendly and highly efficient in everything he handled.

His contribution to the party, both in the days we were in opposition and through his achievement as a minister, will remain etched indelibly on the minds of his colleagues in the party and those fair-minded among the Ghanaian population who appreciate good work, good character, loyalty and commitment to our nation.”

Reverend P.E.T Sefogah, in a sermon, urged all to take a lesson from Quashigah’s life as an honest and hardworking person.