The family of the late Prof. Thomas Mba Akabzaa has visited President John Dramani Mahama and formally notified him of his passing.
A statement issued by the family’s media spokesperson, Prosper Anaba, after the president officially had received the news disclosed that a pre-burial wake would be held for the departed energy expert on Wednesday, 10 December 2025, and a mass the next day in Ghana’s capital, Accra.
Some prominent figures from Bongo, the hometown district of the late popular philanthropist, formed part of a delegation that announced the loss at the president’s office on Thursday, 22 May 2025.
The delegation included the professor’s wife, Mary Akabzaa, Prof. Akabzaa’s children, his sister who is also the Women’s Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Bongo, Esther Akabzaa, and Bongo’s longest-serving lawmaker and former Minister for Works and Housing, Albert Abongo,
The rest were former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), Dr. Charles Abugre, GOIL’s Managing Director, Edward Bawa, the Member of Parliament for Bongo, Charles Bawa, former CEO of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) Limited, Ing. William Amuna and the Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Dr. Shafic Suleman.
Receiving the late professor’s family and other members of the delegation on behalf of the president, the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, said the former PURC’s board chairman was a true statesman.
The chief of staff added that Prof. Akabzaa contributed in a huge measure to the growth of the country’s energy and mining sectors. And he assured the family that the state would accord him the honour he deserved for his contribution to national development.
The Minister for Energy, John Jinapor, and a presidential staffer who doubles as a PURC board member, Nana Yaa Jantuah, and some other government officials joined the chief of staff in receiving the delegation.
The energy minister is quoted in the family’s press statement to have said Prof. Akabzaa was still providing guidance as to how to address the challenges in the energy sector even from his sickbed in his last days.
The press statement says the body of the professor will be conveyed to Dua, his native community in Bongo, after the December 11 mass in Accra for final funeral rites and burial.
“The family is grateful to the President and the presidency for their support and commitment to honoring the memory of this outstanding public servant and patriot,” concluded the statement.
Prof. Akabzaa was born on Thursday, 31 December 1959 in Dua, a community in the Bongo district of Ghana’s Upper East Region.
He died on Thursday, 17 April 2025, in Accra aged 65.
Source: Edward Adeti/Media Without Borders/mwbonline.org/Ghana
