The Speaker, Reverend Professor Mike Oquaye, and Leadership of Parliament on Tuesday commiserated with Mr James Klutse Avedzi, the Deputy Minority Leader, on the demise of his wife, Mrs Fortune Abla Fugah-Avedzi, in the Ketu North District of the Volta Region.
The deceased, 47, a teacher, passed away on January 30, 2020.
The Speaker was accompanied on the trip by First Deputy Speaker, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, Second Deputy Speaker, Alban Bagbin, the Majority and Minority Whips and the Majority and Minority Leadership; Mr Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu and Mr Haruna Iddrisu.
The Speaker extended the sympathy and condolence of the House to the bereaved family.
He explained that he was informed last Friday by Mr Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzra, Member of Parliament for Ho West and Chairman of the Volta Caucus, about the sudden demise of Mrs Fugah-Avedzi when he (Speaker) enquired about the absence of the Deputy Minority Leader.
He described Mr Avedzi as a hard working legislator whose records and contribution in the House was there for all to see and urged him not to think only about the short life of his wife but the good days they spent together.
“Count not the shortness of her life but the good days that you spent together. When you reflect on the good days and years, you can only say, God thy will be done,” the Speaker said.
Prof. Oquaye urged the lawmaker not to grieve excessively, but to look after the children that his beloved wife left in such a manner that they would be an honour to their mother.
“Now remember, your duty now is not to mourn as such, but to look after the children that your wife left in such a manner that they would be an honour to their mother.”
Mr Mensah-Bonsu, on his part, said the news of the demise of Mrs Fugah-Avedzi came as a “thunderbolt.”
He said the Deputy Minority Leader was one of the hardworking legislators, who had, for eight years, served as the Chairman of the Finance Committee.
Currently he is the Chairman of the Public Account Committee (PAC) where he brings his experience, knowledge, wisdom and intellectualism to bear in his work.
“So when he is not in Parliament, we do miss him and there is a vacuum in the work that you do….”
Mr Haruna Iddrisu extended deep condolence and sympathy of the Leadership to the bereaved family.
“I pray that God should give him the fortitude to accept this loss, for he gives and takes, since this can happen to anyone,” he said.
Later, the Speaker and the Leadership donated GH₵10,000 to the bereaved family to enable them to cater for other expenses of the funeral.