General News of Thursday, 19 May 2016
Source: dailyguideafrica.com
The gold-plated casket
Last week a similar casket that was used to bury music icon, Michael Jackson, landed at the Kotoka International Airport, Accra – the first of its kind on the African continent.
The 14-carat gold-plated bronze casket said to cost $30,000,
was heading for the ancient town of Nkoranza in the Brong-Ahafo Region for the burial of Madam Abena Achiaa, who died on March 16, 2016, at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.
The late Abena Achiaa, who died at the age of 71, was the CEO of Achiaa FM at Nkoranza.
She is the mother of Ghanaian business mogul, Nick Danso, described as one of Ghana’s most enterprising young businessmen.
Mr. Danso is the owner of Ghana Link, the Royal Nick Hotels chain, the Royal Light chain, Nick TC-Scan (Ghana and Sierra Leone), Alic Inspection Company, Export Gold Ethanol Inspection Company, Global Export Company of Guinea-Bissau, Misyl Energy BDC, Nick Petroleum and several other companies.
Michael Jackson’s casket was produced by Batesville Casket Company of Batesville, Indiana, USA. It is the world’s largest manufacturer of caskets.
The model chosen is called the Promethean, a highly polished 14-carat gold-plated bronze casket which has a flame blue velvet interior.
Batesville has provided caskets for many high profile personalities, including US presidents, sports figures and of course, many in the entertainment business – recent examples being James Brown and Farrah Fawcett.