Fare thee well, PV
Today, another illustrious son of Ghana will join his ancestors at Akrokeri in the Ashanti Region.
The death of Mr Paul Victor Obeng, affectionately called PV, the late Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), is indeed a great loss to Ghana.
PV passed away on May 17, 2014, not too long after he had played a sterling role in the National Economic Forum that culminated in the Senchi Consensus so his sudden death came as a shock to Ghanaians of all persuasions.
He will be sorely missed.
PV was one of the few politicians, who, in spite of his open membership of the National Democratic Party (NDC), showed clearly that he was not in politics to necessarily promote his party’s perpetual stay in office.
Mr Obeng was one of the fine contemporary Ghanaian politicians who transcended party affiliations and led a life that portrayed that he was in politics for the general good of the nation. He was truly a model statesman.
We remember the active role he played between 1982 and 1992 when as a de facto Prime Minster of Ghana, he helped the Provisional National Defence Council government under Flt Lt. J.J. Rawlings to steer Ghana out of the difficulties of the early 80s.
Trained as a mechanical engineer, he worked like a perfect engine, serving as a politician with the mind of a technocrat who promoted consensus instead of partisanship.
Indeed, he always kicked against entrenched stance on matters of national interest; and that endeared him to his political superiors, subordinates and even adversaries.
For his excellent work ethics and unifying spirit, PV landed a number of top jobs, including chairman of many state institutions and corporate organisations.
Like all humans, Mr Obeng was not perfect but generally, his life was upright enough to serve as a good book from which every Ghanaian, young or old, must pick some useful lessons that will collectively help to put Ghana on the path of development.
Mr Obeng was a gifted orator and deep thinker, whose hands-on approach towards finding solutions to problems made him literally indispensable; and that explains why he has served in very important capacities in all governments in the last three decades.
To all four Presidents in the Fourth Republic, namely Flt Lt J. J. Rawlings, Mr J. A. Kufuor, Prof. J. E. A. Mills and Mr John Dramani Mahama, Mr Obeng was a rich well from whom they continuously fetched useful tips on governance and development.
Mr Obeng may not have written and published books to share his rich experiences, but the story of his life is written on the walls of Ghanaian politics and public service, and as we bid him farewell today, the Daily Graphic wishes to express the hope that all Ghanaians would learn great lessons from the life of a man whose life is a shining example for all.
