Accra, Sept. 26 GNA - The Public Services Workers Union (PSWU) on Friday said it was shocked by the news of the sudden death of Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning. A statement from the Union said the leadership and the entire membership of PSWU were grieved and were mourning the death of the Minister.

The statement signed by A.T.D. Okine, General Secretary, said the PSWU could not count the late Baah Wiredu's assistance to the Union as Director of Finance at Ghana Trade Fair Company and as the Minister of Finance and Economic planning.

It said as Minister of Finance, he would give the union detailed government expenditure pattern on wages and salaries for any particular year to guide the Union's negotiations.

"He would always tell us, 'this is the plain truth, so what do we do in order not to injure the state and the working people?'" Meanwhile the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has also expressed its profound shock at the sudden death of Mr Baah-Wiredu. A statement signed by Mr Kweku Tuoho Bombason, out-going NUGS President and Mr Sebastian David Damoah, out-going Press Information Secretary, extended the union's condolence to the late minister's wife, children and family as well as his constituents and President John Agyekum Kufuor.

It said NUGS recounted how respectfully the late Minister treated NUGS when he was Minister of Education and also supported the union to be on its feet.

It is worth mentioning how skilfully he handled NUGS's concerns about the implementation of the talk time tax after the presentation of the 2008 budget to parliament. The statement said though as Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, he also worked hard towards getting a vehicle for NUGS. "He was indeed an asset for, not only Ghana, but also the world at large."