By: Emmanuel Oti Acheampong
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor, has paid glowing tribute to his late wife former First Lady Theresa Kufuor describing her as his angel and woman of resilience.
The former President eulogised his wife in a tribute during a state burial at the forecourt of the State House in Accra today, November 16, 2023.
In his tribute code named; “To my beloved wife, Aba” , Mr Agyekum Kufuor acknowledged the instrumental role Mrs Theresa Kufuor played in his life adding that, in the moment when there was a military takeover by the Supreme Military Council in 1972, which resulted in his detention at the Usher Fort prison, his wife never relented but overcame all odds and stayed with him.
“This angel of a woman, to my amazement, would survive the ordeal of raising five children on her own – in my absence, Aba gave birth to our fifth and last child, Kofi, as a single parent on 16th June 1972. Her strong and exceptionally disciplined personality did indeed come to the rescue of our family.
He said, her faith and prayers gave him a sense of optimism through his 15 months of incarceration at the Usher Fort Prison. He also described those moments of their lives as a challenging one and attributed their success story to his late wife’s angelic and resilient nature.
The funeral rites brought together people from all walks of the political and governance life including Nigeria’s Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo who was very instrumental in Ghana’s continuous bond with Nigeria during President Kufuor’s terms in office.
Former Ghanaian First Lady, H.E Theresa Aba Kufuor’s state burial was held at the Forecourt of the State House in Accra on Thursday, November 16, 2023.
The former First Lady died on October 1, 2023 after a short illness at her residence in Peduase. She is survived by her husband, the second President under the fourth republic, John Agyekum Kufuor, one sister, five children and four grand children.
News of her death brought shock as that of Former Council of State Member, E.T. Mensah came in hours after.