State Burial For P. V. Obeng On August 15

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Created on Wednesday, 04 June 2014 00:00

State Burial For P. V. Obeng On August 15

03 June 2014

Mr P.V. Obeng will be given a state burial with full honours on August 15 this year, President John Dramani Mahama has said.

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Speaking when the family of the late senior presidential advisor called on him at the Flagstaff House yesterday, President Mahama said the loss of Mr Obeng was not just to the family but also the government and the entire nation.

"People like P.V. have given themselves selflessly to the nation and are always a pivot to the government not only when their party is in power, " he said.

Purpose of family’s visit

The family was at the seat of government to thank the President for the concern he had shown since Mr Obeng passed on and also announce the date for the funeral rites.

The state burial is scheduled for August 15 in Accra, after which his remains would be conveyed to Kumasi to be received by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, later in the day.

The body would then be sent to his hometown, Adansi Akrokerri, in the evening and laid in state on August 16 to be followed by burial and final funeral rites the same day.

Accompanying Mr Obeng’s family were the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Sarpong, and a representative of the Asantehene, Nana Kwame Bonsu, who is Otumfuo’s Ahenenanahene.

Finding PV's replacement

Mr Mahama mentioned how hard it was for him to find someone to step in the shoes of his departed senior advisor.

"You can have people with different combinations but you cannot find people with the same quality like PV," he said.

The President said as a thoroughbred Catholic, Mr Obeng was working on an upcoming visit he ( President) was to make to the Vatican at the invitation of the Pope.

He said a committee set up by the government would work with the bereaved family to give Mr Obeng a befitting burial.

An elder sister of Mr Obeng, Dr Charlotte Abaka, who briefed the President about preparations for the funeral, said while alive, her brother expressed the wish that he should be buried at Akrokerri when he died.

Asenso-Okyere's funeral

Earlier, the family of the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Kwadwo Asenso-Okyere, was also at the Flagstaff House to inform the President of preparations that had been made towards his funeral rites.

The body would lie in state first in Accra on July 18 and be conveyed to his hometown, Kumawu Woraso in the Ashanti Region, for another lying in state and burial the following day.

President Mahama said Prof. Asenso-Okyere paid his dues to the nation, and promised the government would participate fully in the funeral.

Source: Daily Graphic