Kwadwo Mpiani Mourns President Mills in HoustonBy Jermaine Nkrumah Former Chief of Staff under the Kufuor administration Kwadwo Mpiani attended the funeral of the Late President John Evans Atta Mills in Houston, Texas last Friday. Although he was among the many dignitaries who signed the book of condolence in Ghana, a scheduled trip to Houston meant that Mpiani would miss the state funeral held in Ghana.

But the Ghana Association of Houston had planned a funeral to enable the Ghanaian community to show its last respect to the late president, thereby offering Mpiani the opportunity to also show he last respect. A chanced telephone call to Lawrence Frimpong, while on his way to the funeral, resulted in a rare conversation with Chief Kwadwo Mpiani. During that conversation Frimpong mentioned the funeral for the late President Mills in Houston. Upon hearing about the funeral, Kwadwo Mpiani expressed his interest to attend. Frimpong promptly agreed to pick Mr. Mpiani up and escort him to the venue. Also at the funeral was Ghana’s Honorary Consul Jack Webb and his wife Diane. The Ghanaian community leadership was well represented.

Ghana Association President Dr. Janet Aikins and her vice Okyeame Essah Mensah, along with Ga Adangbe’s Joe Stephens, Dr. Ishmail Idan from the Fanti Association, Nat Abochie of the Ewe Association, and others graced the funeral to give it the flare of national unity that has been the theme of President Mills’ funeral. The Houston community signed its own book of condolences, which the association promised to send to the authorities in Accra.