Hundreds of mourners and well-wishers converged at the forecourt of the State House on Saturday to pay their last respect to the late Opanyin Samuel Agyepong, the father of the Executive Chairman of Jospong Group of Companies, Mr Joseph SiawAgyepong.
Dubbed: “A life well lived,” the funeral ceremony was also used to exhibit a rich display of Ghanaian culture.
As early as 7a.m, the funeral grounds had been filled to the rafters by hundreds of mourners from across the country with majority of the people adorned in the official white and black cloth specially made for the funeral.
In the assembling of the great, the crème de la crème of the society were not left out as all those who mattered were present to mourn and show solidarity with the family.
Key among the high profile personalities, who attended the funeral were the Vice President, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the first lady, Mrs Rebecca Okaikor Akufo-Addo, the Chief-of-Staff, AkosuaFremaOpare, Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin and the Senior Advisor to government, Nana Yaw Osafo Maafo.
The other dignitaries were the two former Presidents, John Agyekum Kufuor and John Dramani Mahama, the Ministers of Trade and Industry, Alan KwadwoKyerematen, Member of Parliament for the Assin Central Constituency, Kennedy AkomprekoOheneAgyapong, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mohammed and the Minister of Information, KojoOppong Nkrumah.
Not to be left out were some prominent chiefs and queen mothers, members of the clergy, heads of the security agencies, editors of major media houses, journalists from across the country and sympathisers from the general public.
The various political parties were also heavily represented with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) delegation led by its national chairman, Mr Stephen AyesuNtim and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) led the general secretary, Mr Johnson AsieduNketsiah.
A brief biography of the late OpanyinAgyepong read revealed that he was born on June 7, 1924 in Banka in the Eastern Region of Ghana to OpanyinKwakuKissi (aka KwakuNyame) and ObaapanyinYaaAnumwah both distinguished natives and members of the Obo Aduana Clan.
He was described as lovely child of the rich colonial-oriented purlieu woven with flamboyant photogenic heritage of being Obo Aduana.
These emanated from values such as his sweet and amiable temper.
Beyond many recounted details and various anecdotes illustrate the extent of young Samuel’s charm and influence on his peers with a great sense of responsibility and integrity.
OpanyinAgyepong had his education at the Obo Government School in 1934 where he completed formal school system at Standard Seven.
However, he did not continue his formal education beyond Standard Seven as he veered into the world of work.
In his pre-burial service sermon, Apostle Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Kumi-Woode, said death only marked man’s work on earth.
Quoting from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, he said death marked the end of man’s journey on planet earth, but the greater work was beyond this earth.
Apostle Kumasi noted that for those in the Lord, death marked the beginning of “joy and hope,” however, for those who did not know God pain and misery will be their portion.
“If you are here and you don’t have Christ, then your life is in crisis no matter what you have done or accomplished in life,” he said.
He, therefore, urged Christians and non-Christians alike to take seriously the word of God and tread in his light in order to receive salvation stressing that “When your last trumpet of death is sounded, the one with Christ becomes more hopeful while those without Christ start with a life of pain and misery.”
BY CLIFF EKUFUL