<<Print>>

Today, one year on this week I remember the late Vice President Kwesi Amissah Arthur , a great democrat and servant leader, whose leadership Ghana was blessed to have if even for a brief period. His legacy of fostering peace and progress in Ghana and beyond is worthy of emulation. He raised the bar of governance and put the nation’s needs above his, for which this nation owes him a debt of gratitude. May God continue to keep the family he left behind. Thank you SIR for your service to Ghana.

Introspection

I used the occasion of the one year anniversary of the death of late Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah Arthur to make some introspections. Like many other Ghanaians, the day would have slipped by without my notice especially the Library in his Honour and the others celebrated him as “a great democrat and servant-leader, whose leadership Ghana was blessed to have if even for a period.”  

Tweet  

Preceeding his  death he personally commissioned A state-of-the-art Language Centre has been inaugurated at the University of Cape Coast to train students and people from neighbouring countries in both local and international languages.

The two-storey Amissah-Arthur Language Centre, which was sponsored by the Bank of Ghana, has facilities such as language laboratories, computer laboratories, a library, offices, museums/archives, conference room and multi purpose studio. He said it was with much admiration that the building has been completed to help in the training and learning of languages.

The government of Ghana also decided to re-name Moree Senior High School in the Central Region after the late former Vice-President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur.

“In consultation with his family, His Excellency the president and the government, have decided to rename Moree Senior High School to Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur Senior High School in Moree in the central Region.

 Bringing my memories of him back not just this year alone, even in the preceding years, our society leaders, as well as His  leadership examples and the characteristics that endeared him to many and aided him in his political conquests to meaningfully do so.

For all his shortcomings as a human being, Kwesi Amissah-Arthur had a pull as a politician, A Gentleman, A forthright Personality, an Incorruptible Man and a Time Stickler.

HE Amissah Arthur was not the first Former Vice President leader to pass on after office, but we must concede that he was too much of a part of our today’s story, national conversation and the present democracy to brush aside and move on, especially when there is so much future leaders can learn from his examples and the paths he treaded. In the face of severe Provocation he allowed political maturity to prevail.  We can’t bring him back to life but he can live on in our consciousness through a reasonable activity of immortalisation, perhaps through a synergy of his friends, family, political party and associates because the humility and broad-mindedness he exuded and his governance by diplomacy, present valuable leadership lessons.

In His Brief Time

His period was comparatively brief, but his governance style left gold-standards footprints in respect for rule of law, respect for national character, prioritising of public interest and in tackling National issues as a Termite and a noiseless achiever .

I have not forgotten what he teaches about Time.

He was forthright and a leader who was willing to accept shortcomings and take actions to remedy them.It also  presented him an opportunity to learn from mistakes .He offered himself a a “servant-leader,” Vice President who will be “a listener and doer, and serve with humility,” and who urged every political office holder in his time to “act at all times with humility, courage, and forthrightness.”

One of his promises was to set worthy personal examples about Politics of Insults.I can recall that in the about 4 years of  his Vice Presidency he proved it. Before Kwesi Arthur assumed office as a Vice President, some politicians both within and without were already accusing him of being too slow. That preconception is now widespread, fuelled by rumour that his style was too Acadamic. And were determined to reduce every bit of his achievements to nothing..

Just After One Year; He is Miss

Today Ghana is in dire need of courageous leaders like him .He was a selfless leader. Marking his one year we now know that he was not  driven by greed and corruption -like  very ungodly and rapacious individuals.

He proved that Leadership is a divine duty and a great sacrifice and service to humanity. The young generation of Ghana must rise up to enthrone people who have the wisdom, courage and vision to truly transform our nation to be among the very best in the world.

My Prayer

I pray and hope that the passing of  Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah Arthur will shut the door of bad, poor and mediocre political leadership of the last 50 years and open up a new era of brand leadership - wise, courageous, visionary, innovative, change leaders to reclaim Ghana's lost glory as the most precious jewel of Africa.

PKey, Sleep well. Damirafa Due