Final Funeral Rites Of Late Adjei-Mensah Observed

The final funeral rites of Mr Isaac Kwadwo Adjei-Mensah, an ex-Parliamentarian and Minister of State who died on June 7, was observed on Saturday at Techiman. The mortal remains of the former Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing during the second term of former President Jerry John Rawlings from January 7, 1997 to January 7, 2001, were rather interred at his home town, Jama Tempori, near Techiman. His burial ceremony was preceded by a well-attended burial service at the Saint Paul�s Catholic Cathedral in Techiman, where President John Dramani Mahama, Mrs. Lordina Mahama, the First Lady, Mrs. Cecilia Johnson, Chair of the Council of State, current and ex-Ministers of State, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, and people from all walks of life, were present. Mr. Adjei-Mensah, 80, was the Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister from January 1993 to January 1997, and also three-term Member of Parliament (MP) for Techiman North from January 1993 till January 2004 when he retired from active politics. The occasion eclipsed economic and other social activities in the Techiman township, arguably one of the busiest, if not the busiest municipal commercial centre in the country. This was because from 0530 hours to 0830 hours when he was laid in state at the St. Paul�s parish hall through the burial service and the burial to the end of funeral rites at 1800 hours at the Techiman Methodist school park, the entire town centre and business district of Techiman was jammed with traffic. Very Reverend Father Francis Kwame Anane-Yeboah, the St. Paul�s Cathedral Administrator who was the lead celebrant of the service, was assisted by five other priests, including the Very Rev. Fr. John Kofi Takyi, Vicar-General of the Techiman Catholic Diocese. In a sermon, Very Rev. Fr. Anane-Yeboah extolled the virtues and achievements of Lawyer Adjei- Mensah, saying that he served God through his meritorious services to his country and humanity. He commended Mr. Adjei-Mensah for practicalizing the dictum by the late Ghanaian educationist, Dr. Emmanuel Kwegyir Aggrey, that �If you educate a man, you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate a whole family�. The Rev. Fr. explained that that was fulfilled particularly in the quality education and training of his 10 daughters, including Lawyer Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, and Mrs. Theresa Adjei-Mensah Boakye, an Assistant Director at the Sunyani Municipal Assembly. Very Rev. Fr. Anane-Yeboah epitomized Mr. Adjei-Mensah as a model who led an exemplary life, and therefore advised parents, especially fathers, to be hard working and responsible in discharging their fatherly duties effectively and efficiently. Tributes were read by the widow, Mrs. Adjei-Mensah, the children, grand-children, in-laws and on behalf of Parliament by the Majority Leader, Mr. Kingsford Alban Sumani Bagbin.