The former Vice Chairman of the Convention People�s Party (CPP)- UK Branch, Hayford Patterson Akrofi who was killed at his residence at Ofankor in Accra in June, will be buried on Saturday, August 23 at his hometown, Tutu-Akwapem in the Eastern Region.
The late Hayford Akrofi until his untimely death on June 23 was a member of the CPP National Central Committee.
He was a senior architect and lived in the United Kingdom for several years only to relocate to Accra recently with the aim of helping to rebuild the party and spearhead other development projects in the country.
But his dreams were cut short by assailants who attacked his home, sexually assaulted two women and shot him twice, killing him instantly.
In a brief but sorrowful speech during a short memorial gathering at the party headquarters in Accra, the Leader and Chairperson of the CPP, Hon. Samia Yaba Nkrumah underscored how devastated she was at the passing of the comrade.
She said news Mr Akrofi�s killing hit her on the day she turned 54 years and left her in a depressed and confused state. She said she will never forget her state on that occasion.
�I cannot forget that day, the 23rd June 2014. The blow was so heavy that I instinctively did the same thing I did, the same movements I made on the 24th February 1966 many years ago. I fell on my knees to pray.�
Samia described Comrade Akrofi as a towering pillar of the party, a man of great intellect and she could not fathom why anyone would want to take the life of such a noble and illustrious son of the land.
�When we heard of his passing and the manner of his passing, we were confused. Was this politically motivated? Was this a contract killing? Does the CPP have to suffer yet again? Haven�t we lost enough of our good, able bodied people? She queried.
Explaining the positive impact of his contributions to the party, she lauded the volunteerism spirit of Mr. Akrofi and his rare leadership qualities.
According to her, Mr. Akrofi was loyal, dedicated and passionate about the rebuilding of the CPP and was an encouragement and a shining light to others in the party during challenging times.
�Comrade Akrofi will never die. We are not talking about a mortal man but a body of ideas of a true African leader. I want to reassure the family again that we will honour him. We don�t forget our own. Our tribute to him will be to follow his footsteps with courage, convictions and with love,� she concluded.
A nephew of the deceased who spoke with XFM�s David Apinga was also saddened about the loss of the family man. He described Mr. Akrofi as a �big pillar of the Akrofi family who can never be replaced�.
Mr. Oscar Anie Akrofi suspects foul play as investigations continue into his violent passing.
�From the assailants own words they were sent to kill him. Who is/are the person/persons? We are yet to know, but we leave that to the police,� he stated.
Other party faithful likened the loss of Mr. Akrofi to the crashing of an egg. They said he was irreplaceable. View more photos here.
The late comrade died aged 69 years and is survived by four children.
The final funeral rites will be held at the Tutu Presbyterian Park, Tutu Akuapem on Saturday, 23th August followed by his interment at the Methodist Church cemetery at Tutu Akuapem at 10am.
A thanksgiving service will also be held on Sunday, 24th August at the Methodist Church at 9am.
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