Omane – Friend, Brother, Coach, Leader
Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah led a life of service, rooted in convictions and anchored to impact.
Omane changed the face of the National Democratic Congress’s election management system. Forever, I hope.
As NUGS President, he spoke truth to power – demanding and securing accountable use of the Ghana Educational Trust Fund. As a medic, he proved to be perhaps our most versatile and most successful politician. At least in the Fourth Republic.
He challenged accepted norms, or perhaps artificially imposed limitations on medics. He thrived in national non-health leadership roles in Communications, Environment Science and Technology and lately, Defence.
By the end of the 2016 Presidential elections, Omane and a few others, suffered significant political lows. Singled out for blame in some quarters for JM’s massive defeat, it appeared he had flamed out. The political future of JM, Omane’s key benefactor, also seemed uncertain. Will JM retire quietly or plot a return? Remarkably, through tact, patience, personal soft power, and effective self-leadership, Omane staged arguably the most impactful personal political comeback of this era. By his passing in 2025, Omane had become a fan’s favorite, and the toast of party faithful in the wake of his bold, upfront, command performance that helped secure the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Omane’s comeback was surpassed only by the historic unprecedented come back of John Mahama to finish his second term after an eight-year interregnum.
25 Years Ago …
It is perhaps best for me to start from our beginning.
The exact circumstances under which Omane and I became friends escape me. Also uncertain is how I, a year their senior, ended up in such deep lifelong friendships with quite a number of his classmates. Nana Owusu-Ensaw, Hadi ‘Dodi’ Abdallah, Winfred Baah, Philip Sarpong, Promise Sefogah, Emmanuel Odame, Bukari Sani – are all now like my blood brothers.
When Omane declared his ambition to contest the NUGS Presidency, I was the President of both the University of Ghana Medical Students Association and the Federation of Ghana Medical Students Association. Only the third medical student to succeed at the NUGS Presidency after Dr. Kobina Arthur-Kennedy and another colleague, we threw our weight solidly behind Omane. Off we went to the Congress grounds to campaign. The campaign was spirited. It was also tough. Wicked. Bruising.
Ultimately, we lost that first election.
We returned to Korle Bu dispirited. And yet unbowed. Back to the drawing board we went to strategize. Keen to make history, we mounted another assault on the NUGS Presidency, to great success. Without contest, Omane’s signature initiative during his Presidency was his principled fight for accountable and transparent use of the GET fund. He also joined the pressure group, the Committee for Joint Action, then fighting for the removal of certain taxes used to compute high fuel prices. This brought him into contact with the venerable Kwesi Pratt Jnr., Ato Ahwoi, Emelia Arthur etc. Expectedly, these attracted the ire of elements within the Kufuor government, a government I learnt he then had sympathies for. Sympathies I did not share. At this time, given our opposing political views, our conversations shifted to national politics, matters of ideology and the like.
One day, I gifted Omane the “Biography of Ernesto Che Guevara” – the Argentinian medical doctor and revolutionary who fought alongside Comandante Fidel Castro in the Sierra Maestra to light up the Cuban Revolution.
“Read this book. You need to understand where I am coming from with my political views,” I said.
Subsequently, every now and then, I would hear Omane quote Major Che in his speeches. My face would light up with a smile. 25 years down the line, the ghost of Major Che continued to dictate the pace of affairs. While Omane socialized his new found hero with his comrades like Hon. Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa etc., I named my first son, Che!
Junior Doctors & National Politics
At some point, Omane succeeded ‘Dodi’ as Spokesperson of Junior Doctors in Korle Bu. ‘Dodi’ had succeeded Arnold Osei -Wusu who succeeded me. I was at the time serving on the National Executive Council of the Ghana Medical Association. In these capacities, I on Council, and he leading junior doctors, we interacted often. Omane seemed to take pride in not having led any industrial unrests during his tenure, attributing it perhaps to his proactive engagement and problem-solving skills. Of course, given the many strike actions I had to lead, some attracting serious retributive actions from employers and government, I totally disagreed with him.
The deeper Omane got into national politics, the more of a sounding board I became. We will often discuss strategy and tactics. My socio-political articles in the Graphic sometimes served as fodder for discussions – both friendly and critical articles of the Mills government. Occasionally, he will reference certain high-level relationships I had long enjoyed in the NDC in addition to my contributions to various policy discussions. Leveraging these, he will float the idea of my engagement in national politics, attempting to draw me from my thriving international career in global health. Sometime in 2018, or thereabout, I started getting the itch. Sometime, in 2022, I decided to play a more direct role in the campaign to return former President John Mahama to power. Omane asked me to come home.
“Finally, Ataa Sodzi! You are ready. You should have come in a long time ago.”
This deep engagement changed the dynamics of our relationship. From being a friend, brother, junior, and using me as a sometime aloof health policy sounding board, Omane’s role in my life transitioned to that of a political coach of sorts.
Omane now took the responsibility to hold my hand and guide me into a new world of partisan politics. He fully embraced this new role and overwhelmed me with his selflessness, openness, strategic thinking and strong sense of nationalism.
Omane’s School of Political Strategy
At this point, I was ushered into what I personally christened Omane’s School of Political Strategy. This School threw its students in at the deep end, believed in peer learning techniques, strategic relationships, and grounded learning through feedback and reflection. In this school, he asked me to collaborate on the writing of the Polling Agents Training Manual.
During the training sessions for Master Trainers, I would frequently be called upon impromptu to answer questions or present on elections management systems. For the training of the party’s polling agents, he posted me to Northern, North East, Upper East and Volta regions. He would later explain his desire for me to connect directly with comrades while learning from experienced election managers like Comrades Mahdi, Gyeke and Tanko Computer.
Omane approached his appointment as the NDC’s Director of Elections & IT with uncommon rigor. He mounted an operation, the scale and impact of which are unmatched in recent times. He mobilized resources, oversaw the training of 160, 000+ polling agents, deployed technology and psy-ops to dizzying effect, and held the Electoral Commission to the highest levels of accountability.
Out of the blue, Omane would invite me to attend meetings, on the surface of which had nothing to do with me. Eventually, the reasons for Omane’s invitation will crystallize. He wanted me to meet and interact with specific categories of people.
Periodically, we would call each other to debrief on one happening or the other. On these occasions, his solid grasp of issues – at the intellectual, strategic and operational levels – will reflect in some profound unforgettable analysis.
Essentially, the NDC has lost a strategist. His family has lost a bastion. Ghana has lost a leader. Given Omane’s trajectory, I predicted that with time, he will fully come into his own in the NDC, evolving into the ilk of legendary strategists and thought leaders like Captain Kojo Tsikata, Mr. Kofi Totobi Quakyi, Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata, Mr. P.V. Obeng, Mr. Ato Ahwoi, Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi, Prof. Kwesi Botchway, Dr. Christina Amoako-Nuama, and other presently active party greats.
Eventually, when President Mahama and Omane asked me to represent Candidate Mahama at the National Collation Centre, with Woelinam Dogbe and Yayra Koku, for the 2024 election, I felt humbled, yet ready. This was clearly a high-risk activity, a heavy lift, failure at which will bring long-lasting consequences for the President, the party and ourselves. And I had Omane to thank for that level of ‘by fire, by force’ preparedness, as they say.
What memories will immortalize Hon. Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah?
- Courage of convictions – he was a leader who was not afraid to follow his convictions. He did not see himself as being in a popularity contest with anyone.
- Valued relationships – he made friends in politics, the media, his profession and other places whom he checked on regularly, in and out of government.
- Selfless – He was ever ready to promote you above himself, if he felt you were better suited for the role. No big deal. He was so confident in his own abilities and path that another person’s success could never intimidate him.
- Loyal – he loved President Mills and President Mahama. He fully recognized the uncommon favour he had found and enjoyed with these two Presidents and he did not take it for granted. He also genuinely cared about all the friends he made along the way.
- Right mix of strategy & tactics – he could separate the trees from the forest. He could separate the long-term ambition from the short-term tasks and execute both with uncommon focus. No distraction.
- Made time for family – he prioritized playing football with the children at home, and helping them to prepare for exams. He was a hands-on dad.
Yes, we love you, Honorable. We thank you for opening many paths for us. We will miss you. Greatly. We will always carry treasured pieces of you with us in the time we ourselves have left.
Go with this soulful Ewe dirge that has kept playing in my mind since you left.
Blewu’e (It’s Gently)
Blewu’e mia d’aƒe lo (It’s Gently you’ll arrive safely home )
Đɔɖɔɖɔ Kpɔ̃ me yɔna azɔli o (It’s Gently but steadily; The Leopard does not make haste)
Lã to asike me da ata dzo o (The animal with a tail does not jump over fires)
Mawu si me miele, eya koe nya mia agbemenyãwo (In Mawu’s hands we are; only He understands our deepest worries)
Minɔ ŋudzɔ, mido gbe ɖa (Let us be wary, let us pray)
Agbe nɔ kaka megbea Tseƒe mayi o (Even long life cannot escape the Ancestral World (the Afterlife)
Blewu’e mia d’aƒe lo (It’s Gently you’ll arrive safely home (Ancestral World)
Blewu. (Gently.)
