By James Amoh Junior
Accra, Sept. 08, GNA – Hundreds of mourners and sympathisers Thursday commiserated with Bernard Koku Avle, General Manager of Citi FM and Citi TV, as he bid his wife, Justine Elorm Aku Avle, farewell.
It was a sober spectacle as waves of grief swept the Cedar Mountain Assemblies of God Chapel in Accra with mourners clad in black filing past the mortal remains of late Justine Avle earlier at a pre-burial service.
The filing past was interspersed with soulful dirges, which got many, including some high-profile personalities, in near tears.
Dignitaries, including politicians from the political divide, including Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Former President, John Dramani Mahama, Information Minister, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Police high command led by the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, attended the solemn service.
Some Members of Parliament, former Ministers of State, media personnel from private and state media, including Mr Albert Kofi Owusu, General Manager, Ghana News Agency; Mrs Beatrice Asamani Savage, Director of Editorial, GNA, Mr A.B. Kafui Kanyi, Deputy News Editor, GNA, were at the burial service to commiserate with Mr Bernard Avle and his family.
Reverend Stephen Wengam, General Superintendent of Assemblies of God, Ghana, in a sermon, advised the bereaved husband not to bottle up his emotions because mourning was one of the stages of grief.
Bishop Eddy Addy, Resident Bishop at The Makarios Cathedral, who led a prayer of consolation for the family, called on the mourners to, at all times, use their moments on earth to glorify God and serve humanity as exemplified by Justine Avle.
In a tribute, Mr Bernard Avle extoled his late wife, who he said had been revealed through prayer at a youth conference in 2005, stating that they were both passionate about the word of God, worship, youth ministry, purpose and prayer.
He said: “Every plan Justine had in ministry included an intention to reach out to the vulnerable and disadvantaged. She loved admonishing people because her meaningful experiences along life’s tortuous paths had produced in her a fragrance that refreshed and soothed the hurting.”
A bereaved Mr Avle said Justine always discerned which of his acquaintances belonged in their lives and reached out to them even when his busy schedules did not permit it.
“She covered my blind spots in multiple ways. She always urged me to check on this or that friend and made a conscious effort to call or text.”
He described her as “a real gem who nurtured meaningful relationships, loved her family, and sought to not compete with but complement and complete me,” and that his “relationship with the Lord Jesus has grown steadily because of her.”
Justine Aku Elorm Senuvie was born on June 09, 1982, as the first child of her parents at Akatsi in the Volta Region.
She married the Broadcast Journalist, Bernard Avle, in 2011 and they had five children. Justine died on August 03, 2022 after a short illness.
GNA