The Anlo Traditional area is expected to hold traditional funeral rites for the late former President Jerry John Rawlings even though it has lost its fight to have the body of the former president handed over to it.

Speaking to Citi News, the Secretary to the local funeral planning committee of Anlo Traditional area, Agbotadua Kumasah said, the absence of a body will not prevent them from honouring one of their own, who was also properly installed chief.

Mr. Rawlings was instead given a state funeral at the Black Star Square ahead of burial at the military cemetery.

“Until his burial today, we were expecting his body to be released to us so now that they are going to bury him in Accra, we as Anlos will organise our own traditional burial for him,” Agbotadua Kumasah said.

He noted that in Anlos’ history, there had been precedent for such an occurrence necessitating a funeral without a body.

“We have had some chiefs who were captured in war. We have had chiefs who drowned and the bodies were not recovered. We had chiefs who were burned to ashes and chiefs who were lost who we didn’t know whether they were alive or not.”

“But there are procedures for burying those people so with or without the body, we have our own way of organising funerals for such people,” Agbotadua Kumasah said.

The Anlo traditional area has been opposed to the state’s handling of the funeral arrangements since Mr. Rawlings’ death on November 12, 2020.

The Council said the arrangements made at the time were not in accordance with the customs and traditions of the Anlo people.

The people of Anlo even petitioned Torgbui Agbesi Awusu II, the Awadada of Anlo to demand that the body of former President.

Source: Citinews

Popular Nollywood actor, Ernest Asuzu, has died at the age of 37. His wife, Jennifer Asuzu confirmed the news to the media.

His wife said the actor slumped on Tuesday evening and never woke up.

The actor came down with a stroke in 2015 which affected his speech.

He was also bedridden for three years. This affected his acting career and he was off the screen for many years.

In his last interview published in December 2020, Asuzu said his problem was spiritual.

He was also planning a return to Nollywood and music after an eight-year hiatus.

Asuzu began his acting career in the 1990s and rose to prominence after he starred in the 1997 Nollywood classic, ‘Rituals.’

Apart from acting, he was also a musician with the name El Cream.

He is survived by his wife and two children.

Source: GhanaFeed.Com

President Nana Akufo-Addo has stated that the necessary formalities are underway to rename the University for Development Studies after late president Jerry John Rawlings although he rejected the offer while alive.

While addressing guests and family of the late president during the funeral service at the Black Star Square in Accra, Akufo-Addo noted that two days after the demise of Rawlings, a consensus was arrived at the University for Development Studies (UDS) that his memory should be immortalized by the renaming of the school after him.

“While he was with us, he respectfully declined an offer I made to him in 2017 to have the University for Development Studies named after him. His reason was that, in adhering to a long-standing principle, he did not want to have any national monument or facility, named after him.

“Two days after his passing, at the 21st Congregation of UDS, it was agreed the honour be accorded him. I am glad, that this has found favour with his family, and the necessary formalities will be carried out to achieve this,” he explained.

Source: GhanaFeed.com