The Agbotui and Allied Families has expressed outraged because it has not been involved in the funeral arrangements of former President Jerry John Rawlings.
A statement signed by the secretary of the Agbotui and Allied Families, Napoleon Kwame Agbotui, revealed that, they were not in anyway consulted before a date was set for Rawlings’ funeral which is a total disrespect for the integrity of late Jerry John Rawlings and must be halted immediately.
“We wish to strongly inform the general public that, no AGBOTUI & ALLIED FAMILIES from any quarters was duly consulted in that respect let alone having reached an agreement on the burial date of our dear son President Jerry John Rawlings with the Government”.
Their anger stems from the fact that the late Jerry John Rawlings was also a “properly installed Chief of Anlo land whose unfortunate demise must be dealt with in accordance with customs and traditions of Anlo.”
“Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings was not only a President of Ghana but a Chief of Anlo under the Title TORGBI NUTIFAFA. President J. J. Rawlings comes from a highly respected family and has lived up to that, so must be accorded the due respect and honour”.
They added, “To bury our son on the eve of Christmas is to reduce his hard earned iconic status to nothing”.
The family is therefore calling on the President, Akufo-Addo to rectify the situation by ensuring that the right procedures are followed.
“We wish to call on the good office of H.E Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo who is a highly respected and celebrated Akyem Royal to ensure that, the customs of the Anlos and right procedures are duly respected since President Jerry John Rawlings always stood for Probity, Transparency, Accountability, Peace and Unity”, the statement read .
Find below the full statement:
PRESS STATEMENT
Good day Fellow Ghanaians, Africans and Sympathizers.
The AGBOTUI & ALLIED FAMILIES, Home and Abroad have noticed in circulation on social media, a press release supposedly coming from the office of the Former President Jerry John Rawlings, that, the Family in consultation with the Government, agreed that the date for the State Funeral of Former President Rawlings is confirmed for Wednesday 23rd December, 2020.
We wish to strongly inform the general public that, no AGBOTUI & ALLIED FAMILIES from any quarters was duly consulted in that respect let alone having reached an agreement on the burial date of our dear son President Jerry John Rawlings with the Government.
Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings was not only a President of Ghana but a Chief of Anlo under the Title TORGBI NUTIFAFA. President J. J. Rawlings comes from a highly respected family and has lived up to that, so must be accorded the due respect and honour.
President Jerry John Rawlings served this nation for nineteen good years with much dedication, self-sacrifice, and by the grace of God, brought into being, the Fourth Republic which has earned Ghana an enviable name globally. Therefore, this shameful display of immaturity, disregard for our traditions and core values, and total disrespect for the integrity of our Hero Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings should be stopped with immediate effect. To bury our son on the eve of Christmas is to reduce his hard earned iconic status to nothing.
The general public is hereby advised to disregard and distance itself from such unfounded, selfish and single handed greedy agenda to bastardize our highly respected son, President, Torgbi Nutifafa and a Hero of our dispensation.
However, we urge the general public to stand by for the right date and details of the funeral arrangements of our Beloved Papa J, after a thorough and broad consultation with the Families, the Government, and The Anlo State to give him a befitting burial.
We wish to call on the good office of H.E Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo who is a highly respected and celebrated Akyem Royal to ensure that, the customs of the Anlos and right procedures are duly respected since President Jerry John Rawlings always stood for Probity, Transparency, Accountability, Peace and Unity.
Thank you.
Signed By:
……………………………………..
Napoleon Kwame Agbotui
Secretary
By: Nana Araba Bedu-Addo / awakenewsroom.com