Public Agenda (Accra)
10 October 2008
editorial
On Wednesday, the remains of the nation's finest Finance Minister and MP for Asante Akim -North, Mr. Kwadwo Baah Wiredu were flown in from South Africa to finally confirm the news that he had indeed submitted to the burial mat.
Sadly, even before the body was flown in, there had been so much acrimony regarding who should succeed him as the NPP Parliamentary candidate for the Asante Akim North Constituency. One would have thought that those jostling to replace the late MP would do so in a manner reminiscent of our respect for what the man stood for- peace and humility and fellow feeling.
It is refreshing that Baah-Wiredu's death, unlike others has drawn opponents across the political divide together, which begs the question why his own party members should be feuding over his replacement.
Certainly, the former Finance Minister leaves a rich legacy of hard work and selfless service to his country. His unannounced visits to operational centres of revenue collecting agencies and state contract sites with the aim of checking corruption and enforcing accountability stood him out as a man of integrity.
But in doing that he no doubt stepped on powerful and sensitive toes and worked beyond the call of duty. He would be remembered for coming down to the level of the ordinary person by going to the markets to explain complex economic and development issues to them; a far departure from the common practice of ministers sitting in their ivory towers and pretending to be implementing government policy.
The story of Baah-Wiredu's meteoric rise from humble beginnings to his former status of Minister of Finance of what is said to be one of the best performing economies in Africa, was a source of inspiration to many youth. Little wonder that he was instrumental in negotiating a deal with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the supply of computers to equip basic schools across the country.
It is hoped that as the brain behind the project, Baah-Wiredu's death should not be used as an excuse to kill it. The best way to leave an indelible mark on the minds of the youth of Ghana; about what the former minister stood for is to ensure that more, if not all Ghanaian children acquire ICT skills under the project he initiated.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Public Agenda. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
