Pastor Slams Funeral Committee

Public criticisms against the Funeral Committee of late President John Evans Atta Mills seem not to go away with the founder and general overseer of the Mount Ararat Chapel International (M.A.C.I) in Accra, Rev. Isaac K. Asante, raising red flags about the way the late president�s funeral was organised. Rev Asante in an interview with this reporter chastised the Funeral Committee for not allowing former Presidents Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor to read tributes at the final funeral service held at the Black Star Square in Accra last Friday. According to him, if this was not done, the laying of wreaths at the grave site of the former president should have at least been allowed the former first gentlemen of the country. This, he posits, did not offer them (former presidents) the opportunity to offer a befitting farewell to our late president. Rev. Isaac Asante said it is an undeniable fact that former President Rawlings and the late President were not in good terms and giving President Rawlings the opportunity to pay proper respect to his former Vice president whom he introduced to politics would have done a great deed of good. Rev. Asante added that the late president�s son Samuel Mills should have also been given the opportunity to read his tribute or lay a wreath. He remarked that although most people including members of his church to a large extent congratulated the Funeral Planning Committee Members as well as private entities for contributing to the success of the program, there were still mistakes which had to be corrected in future. He disclosed African tradition stipulates that when a father passes away, it is the wife and children who would be first to read tributes and lay wreaths on their father�s grave;�but in President Mills� case such culture was missing and the good people of Ghana want to know why,� he remonstrated.