Rumor Mill of Monday, 17 May 2004

Source: Statesman

Rawlings Makes U-turn

Former President Jerry Rawlings last Saturday May 15 caused a small stir at the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church in Kyebi, venue of the Memorial and burial service for the demised Mrs. Adeline Akuffo-Addo former first lady and mother of Nana Akufo-Addo, foreign minister ahead of the arrival of President John Agyekum.

Former President Rawlings who had arrived quite early for the church service, which was scheduled to start at 9.000am, inadvertently walked to the seat, reserved for President John Kufuor and his entourage and sat on the president?s chair.

The former president was part of the large number of people who had converged on the town to celebrate the life of Madam Adeline Akufo-Addo, who passed away on March 21, smartly dressed in a black shirt and matching black pant, was spotted making a beeline to the front row seat in the middle pew, apparently reserved for President Kufuor, but as he sat down, ushers and protocol personnel quickly but gently and respectively steered him back to the left pew, where he sat amongst other dignitaries including a large number of diplomats who came to mourn with the foreign minister and his siblings and members of the Ofori Atta/Danquah and Akufo Addo families.