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Professor Ivan Addae-Mensah, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, has described the late President Dr Hilla Liman as an “unsung” hero who set an unparalleled standard for selflessness, probity and loyalty.

According to Prof Addae-Mensah, who spoke on the biography of Dr Liman, the former President lived a simple but fulfilling life with his family until his re-entry into politics in 1992 as the flagbearer and founder of the People’s National Convention, and remained active in politics until his untimely passing in 1998.
Prof Addae-Mensah said this in Accra at the 20th anniversary remembrance celebration of Dr Liman, which was on the theme ‘The Life of a Scholar, Diplomat, and Statesman’.

He said Dr Liman was described as one of the few rulers in the world with a comparable theoretical grounding in economics, even though he was ousted by an unconstitutional and unjust military coup on December 31, 1981.

“As President, Dr Liman served his nation selflessly without fear or favour and always emphasised that his philosophy as a ruler was Ghana”, he added.

Ambassador D.K. Osei, a renowned diplomat, who spoke on ‘Reflections on Liman the Diplomat’, said the late President served in a bilateral post, which made him to acquire skills like political reporting in discharging his work as a diplomat.
He said the former President spent his time talking about philosophy and was more interested in getting results for a project.

“Dr Liman’s intention was to restore Ghana’s image after series of military intervention in the governance of the state, to promote the interest of both the country and international scene for sustained peace and development,” he added.

Speaking on ‘Liman the Scholar’, Mrs Nabila Williams, a retired educationist, said Dr Liman’s vision for the country’s educational curriculum was to establish a scholarly research institution for the ‘Ghanaian child’, as well as an educational policy that would make students more innovative.

Mrs Dora Fulera Liman, a former First Lady, described her late husband as a modest person who opened his doors for people to tap from his experience in the political dispensation.

“He was a selfless person, an incorruptible personality who has passion and dedication for the country”, she added.

Dr Zilla Liman and Ms Salma Liman, daughters of Dr Liman, described their late father as a simple, generous and intelligent person who served both the interest of the family and the country.
Dr Liman was born on December 12, 1929 in Gwollu in the Upper West Region. He attended the Lawra Native Authority Primary School and then the Tamale Middle Boarding School.

He achieved his BSc Economics in 1962 and then a PhD in Political Science and Constitutional Law at the University of Paris in 1965.
Ms Leda Liman, daughter of the former first couple, launched the Hilla Liman Foundation to climax the remembrance celebration, which would be crowned with a visit to Gwollu, the birth and burial place of the late President Liman.