On the 16th of November 2012, around 5pm, I received some terrible news . I had just returned from the dining hall and had tuned my wireless set to Citifm waiting patiently for “The Eyewitness News”. It was an election year, and even the scary face of WASSCE which was a few months away could not prevent me from following closely the events leading to the final day of polls. At exactly 5:30, the voices of Shameema Muslim and Martin Aseidu Dartey were heard; it was time for the News.
As usual, I was expecting the first story to be election related but that wasn’t the case. The first story hit me hard. Shameema had just broken the news of the demise of the Former Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Alhaji Aliu Mahama. I refused to believe the news which had just been carried on Citifm. I decided to make some calls to ascertain the veracity of that story.
All the calls I made at that moment went unanswered. Shameema was right! Alhaji Aliu had passed on. But a lot went through my innocent mind. How could a man who I had met quite recently just pass on like that? I stood helplessly in my balcony with my very good friend Kortnizer Nii Aryeh. I couldn’t control the tears that rolled slowly down my cheeks. His demise came as a shock to many Ghanaians.
Alhaji Aliu Mahama was a very good man. He was always ready to help whoever approached him for help. In Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Ghana had a Father, brother and friend. His generosity and philanthropic work was seen by all. He never discriminated on grounds of gender, tribe, religion or race. He was a good man who accommodated and treated all equally. He was a family man.
As David. A. Bednar puts it “A home with a loyal husband and wife is the supreme setting in which children can be reared in love and righteousness and in which the spiritual and physical needs of children can be met.” To his wife, Alhaji Aliu was a perfect husband and to his children, he was an ideal father. He loved his wife and placed his family as the most important thing in life. Alhaji Aliu Mahama was a very successful Civil Engineer. He started his working career with the Bolgatanga Regional Office of the State Construction Corporation from 1972.
He was promoted to assistant Regional Manager and transferred to the Koforidua Regional Office of the Corporation from 1975 to 1976. He was made Northern Regional Manager from 1976 to 1982. He then set up his own Civil Engineering and General Construction Firm- LIDRA limited and became its Managing Director in 1982. He served as chairman of the Northern Regional Contractors Association from 1996 to 2000.
His love for politics dates back to 1978 when he was elected councillor to serve in the Yendi District Council. In 1990, he was again elected Assemblyman to serve in the Tamale Municipal Assembly. Alhaji Aliu Mahama was chosen by the then Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, John Agyekum Kufour as his Running mate for the 2000 Presidential election. He became the vice president of the Country following the victory of the NPP in that election. President Kufour retained him for the 2004 Presidential election which was again won by the NPP. Alhaji’s politics centered on the principles of honesty, hard work and sincerity.
He was guided by these principles throughout his political life. During a meeting with members of his communications team in the run up to the 2007 NPP presidential primary, an ebullient Aliu Mahama, admonished the team to keep his messages short and simple. He told them “You know I am a man of few words so nothing above the heads of the ordinary people.” This was an honest man who had the concerns of the people at heart.
It’s been four years since H. E the Former Vice President passed on. He served his country and its people diligently. His good works and deeds will forever be remembered by all. ‘I cannot say, and I will not say that he is dead. He is just away. With a cheery smile, and a wave of the hand, he has wandered into an unknown land and left us dreaming how very fair it needs must be, since he lingers there. Think of him faring on, as dear in the love of There as the love of Here Think of him still as the same. I say, He is not dead—he is just away.” Your Excellency, you will forever remain in our hearts.
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