‘Things Just Don’t Add Up’ – Kwame Agbodza Calls For Committee Of inquiry into Amissah-Arthur’s Death

Many are yet to come to terms with the sudden death of former vice president Kwesi Amissah-Arthur at the Air Force Gym in Accra last Friday.

The former Bank of Ghana Governor, according to reports, had driven himself to the gym to undertake his usual exercise routine but did not go back home.

Reports say the former vice president collapsed and died at the 37 Military Hospital, where he was rushed to following the tragic incident.
 
But while the family of the late statesman, supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the entire nation mourn the unexpected demise of one of the most dignified politicians in Ghana’s history, a Member of Parliament is asking for a further probe into the incident.

The Adaklu MP, Kwame Agbodza says the manner in which the health system failed the former vice president at the military installment is unacceptable.

He also claims that the comment by Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, on a pro-government social media platform soon after the death is suspicious.

He questioned circumstances leading to the tragic incident asking “what were the issues around it, who did he go there with, who were the people there, when the thing happened what was the protocol," he told Joy News.

He added “It just doesn’t add up that the vice president will go to a gym and things like this will happen…an air force gym is not a small installation…I just think that the things don’t add up and we need better information about this,” the MP stressed.

Therefore, he wants a committee, comprising of top medical and security officials set up by Parliament to investigate circumstances leading to the death of Mr Amissah-Arthur.
 
“Let’s have an inquiry. If you invite people to your house and one of them is seriously injured, the police can question you to just update them on what happened at the location, so that they can find out whether it is a normal accident or someone attempted hurting the person."

“And when we have a vice president, as we are told, going into that kind of problem at a military installation like that, I think it is important to get better information than just tell us that he collapsed while training and we threw him at the back of a pickup and took him to the hospital,” he added.

Mr Agbodza is however not in favour of government-appointed officials on the committee. He wants only people who are “independent minded” to be part of it. 
 
The MP also chastised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for failing to declare a state of mourning, as is always done for high ranking government officials.

He is sad that although the President was one of the first to issue a statement about the death, no other respectful step was taken in honour of the late former vice president.