Busia’s contribution to national dev’t indelible — Prof. Oquaye

The Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, has paid glowing tribute to the memory of Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia, Ghana’s Prime Minister in the Second Republic, describing him as a gem whose contribution to national development remains indelible.

Speaking at the 40th anniversary lecture to celebrate Prof. Busia’s legacy in Accra yesterday, Prof. Oquaye said Prof. Busia was not only a great politician but also a holistic person who left a lasting legacy for humanity.

He urged the younger generation to learn more about the values the politician and academic stood for to succeed in their various fields of endeavour.

“Prof. Busia’s background should be an inspiration to the youth because although Royal blood flowed through his veins by virtue of his maternal ancestry, he was only one of many in that connection. He vivified what I have been sharing with young people wherever I have the opportunity: learn hard, be of good character and fear God and you can be successful in one way or another in life,” he said.

The lecture, attended by people from all walks of life, was on the theme: “Celebrating the legacy of Prof. K.A Busia”.

Governance

Prof. Oquaye described Prof. Busia as a “prophet” who stood his ground to oppose the anti-democratic methods used by the Convention People’s Party (CPP) government led by Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

He said Prof. Busia’s administration that ruled Ghana from 1969 to 1972 laid the foundation for the entrenchment of fundamental human rights in the country because his policies paved the way for the enjoyment of personal liberties.

“The Busia-led government rightly saw rural development as crucial to economic growth in that it would first of all lay the foundation for self-sufficiency in food, prevent the drift of young men to the urban areas in search of non-existent jobs and also boost the cocoa industry,” he added.

He emphasised that Prof. Busia was “the father of rural development” who formulated sound policies to strengthen the agricultural sector and promote agro-processing to add value to produce in the sector.

Education

Prof. Oquaye touted Prof. Busia’s academic credentials, saying that he blazed the trail in the area of education and rose above all obstacles to climb higher the academic ladder.

He observed that Prof. Busia was an excellent example of a learned person who made a good blend of academic and practical knowledge to solve problems and urged the youth to learn from his success story.

“As an academic, his style of writing was elegant but not pretentious. He had a logical mind and could solve problems with ease and could make his opponent in an argument very uncomfortable,” he said.

Anti-corruption

He also eulogised Prof. Busia for his stance against corruption, especially when the canker was still a major development challenge for many governments after him.

Prof. Oquaye urged members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to learn and reflect on Prof. Busia’s virtues and incorporate those good ideas in their activities.