‘He couldn’t even eat his last supper’ – Carlos explains how Sir John died

At about 8pm Wednesday, his supper was brought to him, deputy Trade Minister, Carlos Ahenkorah, who was also being treated for coronavirus said.

Before what would have been his last supper, three politicians, positive for coronavirus, shared several moments, chatting at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

The 2020 campaign manager of the governing NPP, Peter Mac Manu, was the third politician there.

Carlos Ahenkorah said he joined the two NPP politicians at about 5pm. The deputy Trade Minister was admitted for an overnight review after he had tested positive for the virus.

Photo: Carlos Ahenkorah is a deputy Trade and Industry Minister

He didn’t know that that time with Sir John would make him one of the few who saw the former NPP General Secretary die.

Being politicians they had a lot to talk about and the recent NPP primaries was one up for grabs in the three-man chat, Carlos Ahenkorah who went unopposed in the Tema West primaries said.

During that primaries two weeks ago, Sir John’s famous words ‘Fear Delegates’ was resurrected to troll the losers in another viral round on social media.

That admonition was used by Sir John when he lost his position as NPP General Secretary at a party delegates congress in 2014.

“We had a nice conversation,” he said on Asempa FM’s political talkshow ‘ Eko Si Sen’ and revealed that during the discussions, Sir John got a call from the vice-president, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

They had a chat, he said and explained Sir John, who was the CEO of the Forestry Commission, was to join the Vice-President on some assignment.

The three talked for at least three hours. And it passed quickly.

He was only tired of staying in the hospital since last week, Carlos Ahenkorah said.

He said Sir John had expressed hopes he would be discharged over the week-end so he could go back home and keep on with his recovery efforts.

Sir John would occasionally take off his oxygen mask and joke about why he would have the equipment on when he was feeling fine.

“He was very strong”, Carlos Ahenkorah said and explained Sir John said he had never had hypertension or diabetes.

But the former NPP General Secretary felt the changing figures on his medical status disconcerting, Carlos Ahenkorah said.

After about 8pm, supper came around and the three were served.

Sir John sat up on his bed to savour his food brought in by a nurse.

But.

‘Suddenly, he slumped into bed,’ Carlos Ahenkorah agonised about the abrupt change in the mood in the ward that left the two other politicians panicking.

The nurse rushed out, chasing after a doctor. Medics came in to work on the politician who laid supine.

They did some CPR and for more than an hour they were injecting him with all sorts of medical interventions.

Sir John didn’t take a bit of his food but he bit the dust in his last struggle for life.

The three politicians left their food untouched as the dawn broke with touching tributes to the humorous party loyalist.