‘God knows Best’ - Afenyo-Markin’s heartfelt tribute as Parliament mourns Akwatia MP

Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has sent a heartfelt message to the family of the late Member of Parliament for Akwatia, Ernest Yaw Kumi, following his sudden passing.

The first-time legislator tragically died on Monday, 7 July 2025, after a brief illness. The exact cause of death has not yet been disclosed by medical authorities or family members, but the news has deeply shocked both colleagues in Parliament and constituents in Akwatia.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Mr Afenyo-Markin expressed his condolences to the bereaved family and the people of Akwatia, stating that "God knows best" in reference to the MP’s untimely death.

In his tribute, the Minority Leader eulogised his late colleague as a likeable individual who had no history of controversy or disputes with fellow members. He remarked:

We know that this is sudden; it was unexpected. The Member was not seen as someone who was unwell, and therefore, you are pained.

He continued:

Mr Speaker, his record in this House, both at the plenary and committee levels, is quite profound and known to all. Above all, this brother had all the qualities anyone would wish for in a sibling. He lived the prayer of this House: ‘a country of righteousness where none shall wrong his neighbour.’

No one can ever say that, in his few months in this chamber, he was controversial or wronged any colleague.

Meanwhile, the House adjourned its sitting to the forenoon of Tuesday, 8 July, in honour of the late MP.

Mr Kumi entered Parliament on the ticket of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) following a highly competitive 2024 general election. He secured 19,269 votes to defeat the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Henry Yiadom Boakye, who polled 17,206 votes. His victory, however, was contested and became the subject of a prolonged legal battle.

During his time in Parliament, he served diligently on the Lands and Natural Resources Committee and the House Committee.

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