The late former Vice President Aliu Mahama has put to rest the controversy surrounding his final resting place as his body was flown to Tamale for final interment yesterday.

Alhaji Mahama refused to pitch camp at the Asomdwee Park burial grounds where the late President John Evans Atta Mills was buried.

After much haggling over where to put the remains of the former Vice President, the mention of the Asomdwee Park was the suggestion and the near possibility which saw members of the NPP frown over why their man should be buried at the location, going by the controversy surrounding it.

While for the state it was a befitting resting place for the former Vice President, for both Dagombas in the NPP and others outside the ethnic group, the suggestion fueled their resolve to have their beloved one flown to Tamale for his interment.

The General Secretary of the NPP, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie aka Sir John, remarked rather humourously that since the late President was already in heaven as advertised on television, the former Vice President was going to be lonely if buried at Asomdwee Park.

He said it was therefore reasonable to heed the family position of wanting the body in Tamale.

Islamic And Christian Rituals

For the first time in the history of state burial services, Ghanaians saw a fine blend of Islamic and Christian burial rituals when both clerics from the two great faiths participated in the pre-burial service at the Independence Square yesterday.

In his tribute to his former Vice, former President John Agyekum Kufuor stated that the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama was great.

“Aliu Mahama was the best Vice President any President can have,” an emotion filled ex-President Kufuor said at the special ceremony organised for him at the Independence Square.

According to Mr. Kufuor, during their eight-year tenure, Alhaji Mahama was very cooperative with his superior, and even though they often had divergent views on certain policies; the dissent was “quickly ironed out”.

“Alhaji Aliu Mahama was hardworking, diligent and contributed immensely to the successes of the [NPP] government,” the former President noted in his eulogy of his departed colleague.

Alhaji Mahama was the longest-serving Vice President in Ghana’s democratic dispensation since independence.

President Kufuor paid glowing tribute to his deputy who he referred to as “My friend and brother”.