Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante Akim Central, whose daughter, Adwoa Agyarkwa, allegedly committed suicide by hanging at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has finally broken his silence on the matter.
During a condolence visit to his home in East Legon, Accra, by his colleague MPs, Anyimadu-Antwi revealed that news of his daughter's death hit him like the sound of thunder, according to a report by the Daily Guide.
He said he was in parliament when KNUST authorities called him to deliver the devastating news.
He said he immediately started driving to Kumasi, praying along the way the news would turn out to be an April fool joke.
The MP said when he reached the school, however, the reality that his beloved daughter had died dawned harshly on him, as he was shown her body at the KNUST hospital morgue.
He said he was at a loss as to what impelled his daughter, who he described as his best friend, to commit suicide, saying that she was well-loved and catered for.
“As of now I have tried hard to find answers to the puzzle as to why my daughter could die in such a tragic manner because we provided everything for her and made sure she was always happy. She was my best friend,†he said.
Anyimadu-Antwi said the death of his daughter, who he said was always jovial and happy, had taught him the need for parents to pray for their parents at all time.
“One thing I have learnt from the death of my daughter is that this unfortunate incident could happen to anybody or any family and that as parents we need to constantly pray for our children in school so that such things do not befall them,†he said.
The MP, a Christian, said despite the darkness that had enveloped his life, he was taking consolation from the saying that "it is God who gives and it is God who takes".
He added that the condolence messages and words of encouragement from friends , family, colleague MPs and members of the public had also been very helpful.
18-year-old Adwoa was found hanging on a nylon rope on the KNUST campus on Friday.
She left a suicide note in which she apologised to her parents for not being “the girl you want me to beâ€.
It is not clear what prompted her decision, but some have speculated that she suffered a relationship heartbreak.
As part of investigations into the suicide, police invited Adwoa's roommate for interrogation.
She was reportedly the first to spot the chemistry student hanging on a rope in their room at Independence Hall when she returned from a lecture.