Gladys Ama Wundowa goes home

The mortal remains of Gladys Ama Wundowa, the Ghanaian who perished in the London bomb blast of July 7 2005 would be taken to Ghana today after a Lying-in-State and Celebration of Life church service last Sunday. It was at the Westminister Central Hall in South West London.

The memorial service, deliberately called Celebration of Life, according to the celebrant, Revd.Dr. Samuel Ghann, was so -called to reflect the many virtues of selflessness and christian love in the life that Ama Wundowa lived. The large congregation was made up of those who cherished her community spirit, those witnessing her transition because of its tragic ring and of others present as a protest to terrorism. It was a communion in what Ghana's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Osei Isaac, said had ''no moral, religious, political or social justification for the killing and maiming of innocent people.''

H.E. Isaac Osei (and wife) led a high powered delegation which included the Speaker of Parliament, The Rt.Hon. Ebenezer Sekyi Hughes and wife, The Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Felix Owusu Adjapong, MPs Kwame Osei Prempeh, (Nsuta-Kwamang Beposo) Kojo Armah (Evalue-Gwira) John Ndebugre (Zebilla) and other senior staff at the High Commission.

The Government apart from helping to give the late Ama Wundowa a fitting burial, according to H.E. Isaac Osei, also used the sad incident to re-state its policy against terrorism as a form of protest when President Kufuor visited the bereaved family in July. '' That is why,'' he explained, '' Our president, John Agyekum Kufuor has roundly condemned the cowardly and dastardly acts of July 7 and the shocking attempt of July 21. Ghana stands with the residents of London and the people of the United Kingdom in these trying times.''

As the remains get to the home of her ancestors not as she had planned but in a casket to be received by those she had cared for and loved, Isaac Osei, appealed to Ghanaians to be law abiding sojourners and to alert the High Commission of the misconduct of others who infringe on laws and regulations regarding their stay in the United Kingdom and which could put the name of Ghana in disrepute.

The MP for Chadwell Heath, John Cruddas in whose constituency Ama Wundowa lived in a tribute said, even though he did not know her, the common thread through her live was public service. She had helped others, taken care of her family and devoted precious time as a volunteered secretary at the African Development Agencies in Hackey. That she died on her way to public service which comes with little financial gain, was proof of her love of humanity.

The most emotional tributes were from those who would miss her most including Emmanuel Wundowa, the husband who referred to her as an angel. Her absence, meaning hard work to look after the them especially when times became so hard for him, would be such that, he has decided post-funeral to relocate to Ghana after two decades.

Ama Wundowa left behind two children, Zakari and Azuma who read tributes of teenage loss that brought down many tears to the witnesses.