It was an emotional moment when the mortal remains of the celebrated writer, poet and politician, Professor Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor was flown into the country from Kenya yesterday.
Scores of people, including government officials, family and party members who thronged the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), Accra to receive the body of the former Chairman of the Council of State, could not hold back their tears.
His body is expected to be cremated next month.The body was received by his wife and bigwigs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), including E.T Mensah, Koku Anyidoho, NDC Chairman, Dr Kwabena Adjei, Dan Abodakpi, Ghana High Commissioner, National Security Co-ordinator, Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, Captain Kojo Tsikata and Commodore Steve Obimpeh, Senior Advisor to the President, among others.
On 21 September, 2013, Prof. Awoonor was killed in an attack on the Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi, Kenya along with other shoppers and several other people.
He was in Kenya to take part in the Storymoja Hay festival, a four-day celebration of his writing, thinking and storytelling at which he was due to perform on the evening of his death.
His son was also shot, but fortunately survived and later discharged from hospital.
The attack, which was carried out by Somali Islamic fundamentalist group, Al-Shabab, has since been condemned across the world.
As early as 8am yesterday, people from all walks of life including chiefs from the Volta Region, arrived at the airport to show solidarity with the family of the deceased, defying the scorching sun.
Some people, including family members and government officials, were privileged enough to get seats under a canopy provided by the state to cool off while waiting for the plane to land.
The Kenya Airways flight (5Y-KYE) Boeing 737-86N, which carried the remains and family members who accompanied the body, as well as his son, Afetsi Awoonor, finally touched down around 12:35pm after hours of waiting.
The mood at the grounds suddenly changed when an announcement was made to the effect that the plane, which was carrying the remains of the late Prof. Awoonor, had landed.
Moments later, passengers on board started disembarking from the commercial flight.
Emotional Moments
Not long thereafter, Afetsi emerged from the aircraft with a triangular bandage tied to his neck and hand.
The 31-year-old Afetsi Awoonor, who limped on one leg, was also shot in the shoulder during the attack and received treatment in Kenya.
He emerged from the plane in the company of some family members and the Ghana�s High Commissioner to Kenya.
Some members of the contingent could not hold back their tears when they saw the crowd gathered on the tarmac.
They were met on arrival by a government delegation, led by the Chief of Staff, Prosper Bani and Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho.
Many, especially family members who had gathered, could equally not hold back their tears as they saw the young man tiptoed to his seat.
Things took a different turn when the casket carrying the remains of the late Professor, who until his death was said to be the Agbonugla (family head) in his hometown of Wheta in the Volta Region, was lowered from the plane into a waiting Lincoln Navigator hearse by officers of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
The casket was draped in the national red, yellow and green colours.
After the performance of some traditional rites including the pouring of libation, the body was conveyed to an unknown private cemetery for keeps.
Cremation
Family members have, therefore, set October 3, 2013 for the cremation, followed by a state funeral scheduled for October 11, 2013.
The ashes are subsequently expected to be sent to Wheta, his hometown for interment.
Prof. Awoonor, whilst alive, reportedly instructed his family not to allow more than 250 persons to be present at his funeral and burial service.
He was said to have written his biography about two months ago and instructed his family on how his funeral should be organized.
Per his wishes, as contained in his will, his body is not to be seen by strangers.
He will also be buried at a site he specifically chose in his will.
This wish of the late Professor is likely to be a challenging one to respect considering the fact that he would be given a State burial which many of his students and political friends would love to attend.
Profile
Professor Kofi Awoonor, who was born in 1935, was educated at Achimota School.
He then proceeded to the University of Ghana where he later taught African literature.
While at the University of Ghana, he wrote his first poetry book, Rediscovery, published in 1964. Like the rest of his work, Rediscovery is based on African oral poetry.
In Ghana, he managed the Ghana Film Corporation and founded the Ghana Play House. His early works were inspired by the singing and verse of his native Ewe people.
He then studied literature at the University of London, and while in England he wrote several radio plays for the BBC.
He spent the early 1970s in the United States, studying and teaching at universities.
When sojourning in the USA, he wrote This Earth, My Brother, and My Blood. Awoonor later returned to Ghana in 1975 as head of the English department at the University of Cape Coast.
Within months he was arrested for helping a soldier accused of trying to overthrow the military government and was imprisoned without trial but was released later.
The house by the Sea is about his time in jail. After imprisonment, Awoonor became politically active and wrote mostly non-fiction. Awoonor was Ghana�s Ambassador to Brazil from 1984 to 1988 before serving as ambassador to Cuba.
From 1990 to 1994, Awoonor was Ghana�s Permanent Representative to the United Nations where he headed the committee against apartheid. He was also a former Chairman of the Council of State.
<<Print>>