Former United Nations Secretary General, Busumuru Kofi Annan will be given a full state burial on September 13, 2018 in Accra, Ghana. That’s according to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. He also suggested the date, which falls on a Thursday, and was readily accepted by the family.
This was when a seven member delegation of the family of Kofi Annan, led by Isaac Hopper called on President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House to officially inform him about his passing in Bern, Switzerland, on August 18, 2018.
The President said the death of Mr. Kofi Annan was a sad development because he was one of the most illustrious citizens of this generation, international diplomat, and civil servant of a very high repute who occupied one of the most prestigious positions in the world.
He said his name has brought honour to Ghana and his departure led to sadness for Ghanaians and him personally, because he had known Kofi Annan since childhood as an elder brother with whom he had maintained friendship.
According to President Akufo-Addo, Kofi Annan offered him a lot of counsel on how to conduct himself on some sensitive issues and that his death was a big blow to him.
The President said the stature of the man, Mr. Kofi Annan, should be given full honours and was happy that the family had accepted the state’s proposal.
He said it will be a major event for the country because a lot of world leaders have called him on phone to express their condolences and believed that most of them would come for the funeral.
President Akufo-Addo said there was going to be a committee aside the state protocol team to organise the funeral and that Ambassador Annan Cato’s name had been suggested to head the meeting and that if accepted, the rest of the team would be organised.
The President suggested that Burma Camp had created a cemetery with a portion created for VIPs where former Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur and J.H. Mensah were buried and that might be the place for Kofi Annan’s burial.
Mr. Hooper said Kofi Annan was for the country and that if the state has decided to take over and organise the funeral on September 13, 2018, the family will support it and help to ensure a successfull funeral.
