Tears Flow In Takoradi

Ewurakua Smith, one of the two pupils of Agyiba International School in Takoradi killed by an articulated truck on Thursday, January 13, 2011, was buried yesterday after a burial service at her father's residence. The solemn ceremony attracted hundreds of mourners including Joe Baidoo-Ansah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Effia-Kwesimintsim, Abdul Mohammed Ganiyu, Western Regional Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kofi Mbeah, Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Director of Education and the clergy. In a sermon, Rev. Tony Panin of the Anaji Estates branch of Holy Fire Ministry said God expected men to give Him thanks in all situations, stressing that whatever took place was to be entrusted into the hands of God. "Thanks to Jesus Christ that we have now come to understand that death is a temporary passage from man's hard work on Earth to Heaven where there is everlasting joy," he noted. Despite the promise of Heaven, he said, death was still fearsome and thanked God for giving Christians victory over death. He also asked the family members to continue to pray for God's divine protection and not to grieve like people who had no hope. Pius Donkoh, 7, the other pupil who also died on the spot in the same accident, would be buried today after a requiem mass at the Star of the Sea Catholic Cathedral in Takoradi. The suspected killer, Mohammed Abass, the 31-year-old articulated truck driver, was put before a Takoradi Circuit Court on Monday. He was in court on provisional charges of careless and inconsiderate driving as well as negligently causing harm. His plea was not taken and the prosecutor, Albert Deleisa, pleaded with the court to remand the accused in police custody to assist in investigations. The court, presided over by Charles Nimako, therefore remanded Abass in police custody to re-appear on February 2, 2011. The suspect had earlier gone into hiding in Kumasi after the accident but he was later smoked out.