Quran 29:64 reads, “And this Worldly life is not but diversion and amusement. And indeed, the Hereafter that is the eternal life, if only they knew.
‘The Quran states also that “Death does not concern us, because as long as we exist, death is not here. And when it does come, we no longer exist.”
I have lost a dear friend and partner in democracy, peace and progress Uncle Paa Kay (UPK) as I affectionately called him was a servant, leader and believer in the rule of law.
I first met the late Paa Kay in the late 1980’s when the illustrious businessman and Brother Mr. Kwame Addo, introduced us to each other.
Fate brought us back together in 1996 when I had to perform a duty that needed his professional input. We executed our respective duties, although we had our disagreements at the beginning, we grew to become close friends, and later, family.
A relationship that remained until his untimely passing. At the time of his passing, my entire family regarded him as the head of our family.
History-making individuals are rare to come by. They are dominated by the desire to fulfill a noble goal. They think less about personal comfort.
They reflect more on the common goal. Profit in worldly pursuits do not appeal to them. They stand by lofty principles and pursue them to logical conclusions. The former Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur was one of the rare ones.
Throughout his life, Uncle Paa Kay had the best interest of our nation at heart. His entire working life ; he was dedicated to working to improve our country’s development through economic policies and prudent fiscal policies.
Uncle Paa Kay had a full life. Each chapter of his life; a lecturer, Deputy-Secretary of Finance, Deputy Minister of Finance, economic policy analyst, Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, was complete with dedicated attention to detail and a penchant for excellence.
He starved for honesty and justice in everything he did, and to those of us who knew him at close quarter, his candor and great sense of humor resonated anytime we came into contact with him.
The loss is difficult to bear, the vacuum, almost impossible to fill. We praise the maker of the universe for the special blessing he bestowed on us through the life of our colleague, friend, brother, boss and Vice President; a life that was undoubtedly well lived.
His true godliness and nobility are beyond description. His life was masked with humility, peace and genuine love and care, integrity and persevering faith. As far as the late Vice President was concerned, intellectual achievement must always ride along in the eternal company of humility, self-sacrifice and love for mankind.
I will remember him for his personal decency and integrity, his deep commitment to public service, and his passionate belief in the vast potential and bright future of Ghanaians. He was a man who was several things to several people. He was incorruptible!
I am saddened by the loss, but I give thanks to Allah Almighty for the life and passing of my friend, brother and boss. My heart is heavy, the loss is incomprehensible. I however seek consolation from the fact that your foot print shall forever be ingrained in the sounds of time, as you fought a good fight and Insha Allah, the crown of glory awaits you.
A garden owner decides among the lot of flowers to pluck one that he adores and cherishes, who am I to ask the owner why he chose that particular flower. Allah, who is the owner of the garden, chose you, my brother.
KALU INNA LILAHI WA-INNA ILAHI RAJUHUNA (To Allah we are from and to him we return)
May Almighty Allah grant you JAN-NATUL FIRDAUS (Amen)
By Baba Kamara, a former national security advisor
