We have learnt with profound shock and grief the passing away of one of the foremost illustrious sons of Ghana and Africa, Busumuru Kofi Annan.
We, of the National Democratic Congress Professionals Forum (Ghana), join the professionals community of the world to mourn the death of such a celebrated professional diplomat, who rose through the ranks of the United Nations system to become its first ever Black African Secretary General.
We recall with pride and admiration, his singular determination to initiate and implement transformational changes, adherence to professionalism, fairness and transparency in the United Nations systems.
We admired his efforts to bring peace across the Mid-East, the Balkans, his mother continent, Africa and other trouble spots of the world. Even after leaving office, the Busumuru never denied humanity his exceptional peace-making prowess and professional mediation skills. The world has lost one of the best emissaries of peace; a man who went to where others dreaded to go to bring peace and progress to humanity. The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) is the farsighted global compact that has seen millions of people raised from poverty and degradation. In recognition of this, his successors expanded it to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) which is currently one of the flagship projects of the UN.
The Kofi Annan Peace Keeping Centre and the Kofi Annan Information Technology Centre of Excellence in Ghana, established in his life time, bear testimony to his pursuit of world peace, professionalism and ethicality.
We, in the professional community of Ghana, will continue to remember his fearless honesty to resist oppressors rule anywhere in the world, just as we do Patrice Lumumba, Paa Grant, Jomo Kenyata, Julius Nyerere, Obafemi Awolowo, Herbert McCauley, Muamar Gaddafi, Nelson Mandela, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, W.E.B. Du Bois, George Padmore and the many other Pan African heroes, who have departed in the service of Africa. They will continue to inspire us as a continent to strive towards economic emancipation to take our rightful place of respect in the international community. May their souls fortify us with a rekindled sense of patriotism and help us to resist oppressors rule from within or from outside.
The world and Africa have lost a former United Nations Secretary General, Ghana has lost her most iconic son, but we, as professionals have lost a first-class professional, who knew no limitation to personal and professional excellence in all his endeavours.
We mourn you, we celebrate you, Busumuru Kofi Annan, the true professional icon of the world
Fare Thee Well.
Sam P. Yalley
National President
NDC Professionals Forum (GHANA)
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
