Home - 'I didn't 'lose' my husband, he died' – Matilda Amissah-Arthur explains

Former Second Lady of Ghana Matilda Amissah-Arthur has called for a more open approach to conversations about death and grief, saying Ghanaians often use indirect expressions that can make it difficult to confront the reality of losing a loved one.

Reflecting on the death of her husband, former Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, Matilda Amissah-Arthur said she disagrees with the commonly used phrase “I lost my husband” because, in her view, death should be acknowledged plainly.

She also criticised the frequent description of deceased persons as “the late”, questioning why the expression has become a standard way of referring to someone who has died.

“I don’t like ‘I lost my husband.’ I didn’t lose my husband. My husband died. The one I hate is, ‘the late, he’s late’. He’s late where? Where is he going that he’s late?” she asked you in an interview with Kafui Dey.

What my husband’s death taught me - Matilda Amissah-Arthur opens up

According to the Former Second Lady, the reluctance to speak directly about death is part of a wider cultural attitude in Ghana, where the subject is often treated with discomfort or avoided altogether.

“You see, we don’t talk about death in this part of the world. So death is a mystery. Elsewhere, death is a common thing to talk about,” she explained.

She noted that this discomfort can also affect how families mourn, particularly when relatives avoid mentioning the names of deceased loved ones or discussing the memories they shared with them.

Matilda believes families should instead be encouraged to acknowledge the death, remember the deceased and speak openly about their experiences as part of the grieving process.

She argued that confronting the reality of death rather than avoiding it can help people cope with loss and gradually heal from their grief.

“We need to confront things as they are. We need to confront. And you see, it’s good for us if we do that. It helps the healing. It’s therapeutic,” she said.

I didn’t ‘lose’ my husband. My husband died. He’s not ‘late’ he’s dead.

Matilda Amissah-Arthur shares her concerns about how we talk about death in our part of the world — and why she believes we need to be more open about it.

Watch full interview here… pic.twitter.com/LUsNtnO47l— Kafui Dey (@KafuiDey) September 23, 2026

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