Theresa Kufuor, the former first lady of Ghana and the wife of ex-president John Agyekum Kufuor, was honored with a state funeral on November 16, 2023. She passed away on October 1, 2023, at the age of 87, after a long illness.
The funeral service was held at the forecourt of the state house in Accra, where President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, other government officials, and dignitaries paid their last respects to the late first lady. The funeral rites continued in Kumasi, the hometown of the Kufuor family, where she was laid to rest on November 18, 2023. A thanksgiving service was held on November 19, 2023.
Theresa Kufuor was a retired nurse and midwife who dedicated her life to the service of humanity and the Catholic Church. She was also the founder of the Mother and Child Community Development Foundation (MCCDF), a non-governmental organization that supports the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS.
She was praised by parliamentarians from both sides of the House for her invaluable service to the nation and her passion for caring for children and mothers. They also lauded her for her contributions to the success story of her husband, who served as the president of Ghana from 2001 to 2009.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, recounted that in his days as the minority leader of the House, Theresa Kufuor acted as a bridge between him and her husband, President Kufuor. “It was not an easy period, but she managed to keep us together even though at a distance, I never visited them at all. Never. But we kept on working together and developed our democracy,” he said.
Theresa Kufuor was born on October 25, 1935, in Keta, Volta Region. She started her education at the Catholic Convent, OLA, and later went to London, where she trained as a nurse and midwife. She married John Kufuor in 1962, after they met at a Republic Day Anniversary Dance in London in 1961. They had five children and eight grandchildren.
Theresa Kufuor was the first first lady of an NPP administration in the Fourth Republic of Ghana. She was described as a laid-back, soft-spoken, and dignified woman who maintained a low profile in the political arena. She was a devout Roman Catholic and an exemplary woman who all women must emulate, according to Patricia Appiagyei, the NPP MP for Asokwa.
Theresa Kufuor’s legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of many Ghanaians who benefited from her kindness and generosity. She will be remembered as a mother of the nation who cared for the vulnerable and the needy.
Source: [Ghana Web]
