ASEPA Director urges John Kumah's wife to refrain from public statements on cause of death

Ghanaian

Mensah Thompson, the Executive Director of the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA), has strongly rebuked Apostle Lilian Kumah, the widow of the late Deputy Finance Minister, John Kumah, for her recent statements regarding her husband's cause of death.

In an interview with Asaase Radio, Mrs. Kumah refuted claims suggesting her husband died of food poisoning, asserting instead

Read full articlethat he had been battling a terminal illness diagnosed by doctors in Germany for almost a year.

During an appearance on Citi TV’s Breakfast Daily, Mensah Thompson expressed his disapproval of Mrs. Kumah’s decision to publicly discuss the details surrounding her husband’s passing.

Thompson urged the widow to refrain from making further comments and to focus instead on mourning her husband, emphasizing the inappropriateness of her engagement in discussions about the cause of death.

He advised Mrs. Kumah to leave the investigation to professionals who would conduct an autopsy, highlighting that speculating about the cause of death falls outside the widow’s purview.

Furthermore, Thompson underscored the cultural norms in Ashanti tradition, noting that widows are expected to observe a period of mourning without making public statements about the circumstances of their spouse’s death.

“I will plead with the wife to shut up and mourn her husband. In Ashanti culture, when you lose your husband, you can’t even come out for a certain amount of time. You are supposed to be in the room and mourn. Whatever people are claiming killed or didn’t kill your husband is not up to you," Thompson stated, urging Mrs. Kumah to prioritize mourning over public discourse on her husband's passing.