Baah-Wiredu's body in today

Story: Kweku Tsen & Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
Centre Spread, October 8, 2008
THE body of the late Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, will arrive at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra from South Africa today.
Disclosing this in Parliament yesterday, the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi Hughes, said the Ghana High Commission in South Africa had already communicated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that relations of the late minister and high-ranking officials of the High Commission would accompany the body from South Africa.
The Speaker was welcoming members to the beginning of the third meeting of the last session of the Fourth Parliament of the Fourth Republic.
Thousands of Ghanaians, including the country’s political and business leadership, law makers and the clergy are expected to throng the airport to receive the body.
Informing the Members of Parliament (MPs) officially about the demise of Baah-Wiredu, who was MP for Asante-Akyem North, after the reconvening of the House, which had been on recess for almost three months, the Speaker said the body would arrive in the country on a South African Airways flight.
Mr Sekyi Hughes said the leadership of the House received the news of the death of the late minister in South Africa with shock and dismay.
He paid glowing tribute to the late MP, describing him as a man who sacrificed his entire life for the good of the broad masses of the people.
He said the late minister’s high level and selfless sense of discipline and hard work impacted positively on the various ministries that he presided over during the past seven and half years.
The Speaker explained that what endeared the late Baah-Wiredu to people, irrespective of their political posture and colouring, economic or social standing, was his unwavering commitment to listen to their problems and address their concerns.
Mr Sekyi Hughes added that what made the late minister outstanding among his peers was his humility, accommodating nature and tolerance which he exhibited whenever he interacted with people.
He called on Ghanaians to emulate the late minister’s shining example, adding that he led a simple life devoid of pomp, arrogance and intolerance.
The Speaker then called on the MPs to observe a minute’s silence in memory and honour of Baah-Wiredu.
Mr Sekyi Hughes also informed the House about the final funeral rites of the immediate past Speaker, Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, on October 10, 2008 and called on the MPs to attend the funeral in their numbers to give the late Speaker a fitting burial.
The atmosphere in the House was full of emotion as members turned up in mourning clothes to show their respect for their departed colleague, reports Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah .
The seat of the late minister and MP and the microphone in front of it were robed in red pieces of cloth, while most of the MPs wore either black cloths or suits, with red ties to match.
Baah-Wiredu died in South Africa on Wednesday, September 24.
Before the meeting began, some of the MPs were spotted in groups discussing the death of their colleague, while a member of staff of the Parliamentary Service distributed red bands to them.
The order paper for the day included the National Pension Reform Bill which had been moved by Baah-Wiredu on Thursday, July 17, 2008 before Parliament went on recess the following day.
The motion for the second reading of the bill, which was scheduled for yesterday, was deferred to today “to show respect to Baah-Wiredu”, both the Majority Leader, Mr Abraham Osei Aidooh, and the Minority Leader, Mr Alban Bagbin, told the House.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the MP for Tema East, Mr Ishmael Ashitey, said Baah-Wiredu’s death was a big blow to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the country as a whole.
“It will be very difficult to fill the vacuum created by his death,” he said.
The MP for Jaman South, Ms Anna Nyamekye, described the work in Parliament as very stressful, explaining that matters worsened if one doubled as a minister of state.
She said comments heard after Mr Baah-Wiredu’s death showed that he had overworked himself and called on the leadership of the House to take a cue from his death and institute a suitable welfare package for MPs.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Talensi, Mr John Akolugu Tia, paid tribute to the late MP, describing him as a “well bred politician who cut across people from the political divide”.
The People’s National Convention (PNC) MP for Sissala West, Mr Haruna Bayirga, described Mr Baah-Wiredu as a humble minister who could be approached by any ordinary person.
“He extended his love not only to MPs and his colleague ministers but also ordinary citizens as well,” he said, adding that he was a “peacemaker, a unifier and a developer”.
He observed that all the political parties could boast of people with Mr Baah-Wiredu’s calibre and called on them to come together to water down the current political tension.
He said the people of Sissala would always remember the crucial role played by Mr Baah-Wiredu in splitting the area into two districts.
The Minister of Fisheries and MP for Takoradi, Mrs Gladys Asmah, recalled the role played by Mr Baah-Wiredu when the NPP was in opposition and said the House would miss “such a team player”.