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The 40th anniversary of the assumption of office of the only President of the Third Republic, Dr Hilla Limann, was observed last Tuesday at Legon in Accra with a call for the principles of truth and integrity, which were the attributes of the late President, would protect the country from retrogression.

Delivering an address during a commemorative visit to the University of Ghana where a hall has been named after him, a daughter of the former President, Ms Selma Limann, who spoke on behalf of the Limann Foundation, said it was the foundation’s hope and prayer that all residents and students of the University of Ghana would be inspired by those ideals and “more importantly, will aspire to be ambassadors of these objectives while in the university and in later years.”

She recounted that almost two years ago, the government and the good people of Ghana joined the family and friends of the late Dr Limann in the 20th remembrance celebration of his death and more importantly his life, particularly as a statesman, diplomat and scholar.

The ideals of Limann

“We took advantage of that auspicious occasion to launch the Hilla Limann Foundation with a view to promoting the ideals of the late President and ensuring that his legacy lives on,” she said.

The objectives of the foundation, she said, were to create awareness of true democracy, raise awareness of human rights, promote human development for the poor and vulnerable and eradicate the abuse of human rights through education.

One common thread that weaves all the four objectives together, she said, was education adding that as the family of the late President had often reiterated, although he served in many capacities, it was his life as a teacher and his association with scholars, including his closest friends, that brought him the greatest joy and fulfilment.

“It is, therefore, of immense honour to the Hilla Limann Foundation that on another significant milestone signifying the 40th anniversary of the late President’s assumption into the highest office of the land as President, it is being commemorated under the aegis of the Hilla Limann Hall, in collaboration with the family,” she said.

Ms Limann pointed out that it was the integrity and truthfulness of “this great yet simple man that accounts for continued celebrations of his life and legacy, several decades after his demise.”

Although well-pleased, she remarked, “the Hilla Limann Foundation hastens to mention that remembering great ancestors and predecessors in itself has little or no meaning unless it is for the purpose of inspiring the current generation to continue to hold high, the banner or take the baton that will lead us and future generations to higher heights that our ancestors strived for.”

Future outlook

It was the hope of the foundation, Ms Limann said, that in the near future, it would be able to support and witness collaborations between the Hilla Limann Hall of the University of Ghana and the several other tertiary institutions named after the late President towards that end.