By Paul Mamatah
The former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has urged Ghanaian leaders to honour the legacy of late President John Evans Atta Mills by embracing integrity, investing in education, science and technology, and pursuing long-term national development instead of short-term political gains.
He noted that by prioritizing integrity, investing in education, and advancing science and technology, the nation can pave the way for sustainable development that transcends fleeting political interests, ensuring a brighter future for generations to come.
Delivering the 14th John Evans Atta Mills Commemorative Anniversary Lecture in Accra, Professor Frimpong-Boateng said the most meaningful tribute to the late President would not be monuments or annual lectures, but the courage to govern with humility, honesty and a commitment to the welfare of ordinary Ghanaians.
The lecture, held as part of activities marking the 14th anniversary of the passing of the late President, was on the topic, “President John Evans Atta Mills, Fourteen Years On.”
Reflecting on Professor Mills’ vision for Ghana, Professor Frimpong-Boateng said the former President envisioned a country steadily progressing toward the kind of transformation witnessed in several Asian economies through disciplined investment in human capital, innovation and good governance.
“Fourteen years after his death, we owe it to his memory to be honest about where we actually stand,” he stated, adding that Ghana must make deliberate and sustained investments in education, science and technology that transcend political administrations.
He called for the development of an industrial policy focused on building a knowledge-based economy and strengthening the country’s manufacturing capacity instead of relying primarily on the extraction of natural resources.
According to him, Ghana’s progress also depends on investing in its people, upholding the rule of law and adopting zero tolerance for corruption, stressing that integrity is not a luxury but a necessity for national survival.
Professor Frimpong-Boateng lamented what he described as Ghana’s cycle of policy discontinuity, where successive governments abandon the programmes of their predecessors in favour of new initiatives driven by political branding.
The renowned cardiothoracic surgeon noted that as a result, research institutions remain underfunded, skilled graduates continue to leave the country, the cedi keeps depreciating and the nation repeatedly turns to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for support.
Recalling a conversation he had with Professor Mills at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in 2001, he said the late President had already recognised the danger of Ghana falling behind countries it once matched in development.
“The question every Ghanaian leader must answer is whether the next fourteen years will look like the last sixty, or whether we will finally choose the path that Professor Mills pointed toward,” he said.
Professor Frimpong-Boateng stressed that Ghana owes the late President more than remembrance ceremonies.
“We do not owe him monuments, though monuments are fitting. We do not owe him commemorative lectures alone, though remembrance is important. What we owe him is the courage to govern with integrity, lead with humility, plan for the future rather than the next election, and place the welfare of ordinary Ghanaians above the interests of those in power,” he said.
He described Professor Mills as a leader who believed that national transformation would be achieved through honest public service, scientific advancement, entrepreneurship and citizens demanding accountability from those entrusted with public office.
He added that the late President understood that Ghana’s poverty gap was fundamentally a technology gap and that sustainable development required consistent national commitment across generations rather than isolated political initiatives.
Professor Frimpong-Boateng further observed that Professor Mills believed leadership was ultimately about service to the people, ensuring that every Ghanaian had access to opportunities and essential services regardless of political affiliation.
Concluding his lecture, he said Ghana now has an opportunity to offer Professor Mills a tribute greater than any monument by creating a nation where workers enjoy a better quality of life, children receive quality healthcare without political influence, and young scientists returning from abroad are empowered to contribute to national development.
“That is the tribute most worthy of the man Ghanaians came to know as the Asomdwehene, not carved in stone, but lived out every day through the choices of those entrusted with Ghana’s future,” he said.
