The deceased Member of Parliament for the Akwatia Constituency, Ernest Kumi had complained that he was suffering from pains in his chest moments before he died at a hospital in Accra, on Monday, July 7, 2025, Seth Birikorang Ofosu who describes himself as a brother of the last MP has confirmed.
Seth Birikorang Ofosu, a former Chief Executive for the Denkyembour District Assembly, said he was with Ernest Kumi all through the weekend and the two of them had even scheduled a 2 PM meeting on the day the MP died.
He made the disclosure when a high-level delegation from the leadership of Parliament led by the Clerk, Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, and included both Majority and Minority Leaders, as well as other distinguished members of the House visited the home of the late MP on Tuesday morning.
“I traveled to Takoradi with him just last Friday to help the Effia MP – Hon. Isaac Yaw Boamah Nyarko coordinate an event. The next day Saturday, he went to a funeral with three of his colleague MPs together with the former Western Regional Minister. There was another event I went with him on Saturday evening. Chairman Basti hosted us Sunday morning which made us to depart from Takoradi around 2 PM”, Seth Birikorang Ofosu narrated,
He continued: “When we got to Accra, I alighted at Awoshie around 6:30pm Sunday evening and he even teased me that I was taking a taxi home just six months after my party left government and we all laughed about it. Before I left him on Sunday evening, he told me he had something to do at the Law School on Monday by 11 AM so I should call him by 2PM because he would be done by that time so I go with him to see someone.
“I was home Monday morning when his wife called me around 9am and said that my brother had asked me to come and see him because he was not feeling well. I told her I was coming home immediately to see him but she said I should rather meet them at the Lister Hospital.
“I got to the hospital and saw the wife with my brother on the hospital bed, and one doctor around. When I saw him, I held his legs and asked him what he was doing at the hospital when he knew we have a 2 PM meeting with someone. The doctor started narrating the reason my brother was there. The doctor explained that, he was brought to the hospital around 2 AM on Monday and he was complaining of chest pains. The doctor said initially, my brother was responding very well to treatment until around 8:30am, when he stopped responding to medication. So I told the doctor to change the medication if my brother was not responding to the one he was being given. The doctor said the issue was not about changing the medicine.
“It was at that point that the wife interrupted and told me that they said my brother had died. I became confused and grabbed the dead body. My brother had crossed his hands on his chest. I tried to place his hands by his sides but the hands moved back to the chest crossed. I was very desperate at that point, didn’t know who to call. I called Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah and told him what had happened”, Seth Birikorang Ofosu noted.
It was a sad moment for both the family and loved one’s present, many of whom described Ernest Kumi as a vibrant and visionary leader who inspired hope wherever he went.
Ernest Kumi, a first term Member of Parliament, served on the Lands and Natural Resources Committee, earning respect across party lines for his contributions during his short tenure.
The Eastern Regional New Patriotic Party (NPP) leadership in a statement signed by Evans Osei Yeboah Tsooboi, described Kumi’s passing as a devastating loss to both the party and the country.
“The Eastern Regional Executive Committee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is deeply saddened to announce the sudden and untimely passing of Hon. Ernest Yaw Kumi, Member of Parliament for the Akwatia Constituency. This heartbreaking news has come as a great shock to the party, the people of Akwatia, and the nation at large.
“Hon. Kumi was a dedicated public servant whose commitment to the development of Akwatia and the ideals of the NPP was unwavering. We extend our deepest condolences to his immediate family, the chiefs and people of the Akwatia Constituency, and the entire NPP fraternity across the country. May the soul of our beloved brother and compatriot rest in perfect peace. Akwatia Star Boy nante yie”.
Former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia during a visit to the family home of the late MP said, “we got the news while we were at the NEC meeting. Since then, we have not all been able to recover from the shock. Ernest was my friend, and I have always supported him—even during his election as MP for Akwatia. Nobody in parliament supports me more than Ernest; he has always supported me.”
He added, “Just this past Friday, I was with him at my house, and we had a good chat. Hearing this beats my mind because on that day, nothing about him showed that he was ill or sick. I am still struggling to wrap my head around the fact that he has passed. We have come home to commiserate with you as families. This hard time is not just for you alone as a family, but we all are included. Whatever decision you will take as a family regarding the burial, do not take me out.”
Meanwhile, a Book of Condolence has been opened at his Tema residence to honour his memory and service to the nation.
The late Ernest Kumi would have clocked 41 years of age in December this year. He is survived by a wife and three young children aged 13, 10, and 7 – two boys and a girl.
