We went to Alhaji MND Jawula’s Funeral-Majority Leader Clears air
Scores of nerve soothing enthusiasts who greeted arrival of the Vice President, HE Alhaji Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, and his 40 Members of Parliament, led by the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, to Salaga in Savannah Region for the funeral of the late Alhaji MND Jawula, have reignited the curiousity in many to inquire whether the trip was not a campaign strategy to pour cold water on an already lagging campaigns of his main contenders for the upcoming NPP presidential primaries.
But the Majority Leader/Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has allayed any such fears and indicated that the trip was purely occasioned by grief which naturally associates sorrowful departure of a loved friend and statesman. But not that of any political campaigns.
Speaking to a Kumasi based Hello FM in a telephone interview a day after the trip, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu recounted his friendship with the great statesman dates back to 1997 and 2001 where his contribution to sports as Minority Spokesperson on Sports drew the then GFA Chairman, Alhaji MND Jawula, closer him.
Majority Leader also revealed it was at the funeral that he became privy to the deep-seated relationship which had existed between the Vice President, HE Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, and the late Chief, Alhaji MND Jawula, even to extent that the former paid for the later’s medical trip abroad.
On the grounds-shaking crowd who gave such victory-assuring welcome to the Vice President and his entourage to Salaga township, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu opined _it would have been thicker if the usual had happened.
He explained that the expectant crowd had anticipated their industrious son to have come in the usual fleet of vehicles which characterizes the arrival of a Vice President to such functions.
But this time, we were traveling together with him on a bus. And you would understand many might have joined along the way to Salaga if we had not been on the bus with him._
The Majority Leader in answering a question posed to him said ‘ Yes, when they realized the Vice President and his entourage were on the bus, they quickly mobilized about 100 motor cycles to provide escort for our buses . Majority Leader continued that ‘ _
As custom demanded of us, we went to the Chief’s Palace to pay homage, which didn’t last long. We then walked from the Palace to the School Park where the funeral was being held.
It was there that the crowd kept increasing in numbers with every passing minute. This cannot be classified as a campaign trip._ Majority Leader concluded.
By
Agyemang Richard.
