Tribute To Prof A. Adu Boahen

On May 24th, 2006, historian, political activist and former NPP presidential candidate Professor Albert Adu Boahen was called to his maker after a long illness. He was seventy-four.

Two thousand years ago, the poet Sophocles wrote “One must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day has been”. For Prof, it has been a great day right from the beginning. His life of selfless public service involved not just setting the record straight on our great history but making history himself. While he chronicled the greatness of our ancestors, he earned a place amongst them with his deeds. From protesting the arrest of the big six when he was only a boy to standing up to the “culture of silence”, he was on the right side of all the big national issues during his life.

He was never a soldier under arms but as a soldier for justice in our nation, he was more courageous than any other of his time. As a politician, he never believed in accommodation with the dictators of his day. Therefore, he never served nor made excuses for any of them. As a candidate, his integrity in dealing with money was legendary. For this reason it is widely believed that if he had won the presidency; his administration would have set standards in integrity not just for his age but for the ages. Unfortunately for our nation, his dream was not to be. It is therefore appropriate, that he has gone to the other side, to a well-deserved rest, at peace and at home with his maker. May his family find in this difficult time, the courage to accept his departure. We thank them for sharing him with us.

As a historian, he would wish us to understand and apply the lessons of his great life and the circumstances of his death. It is regrettable that he is scheduled to be accorded the nation’s high honour in July of 2006, when he can only be present in spirit. It would have been moving to have him grace the occasion with his oratory and wit and to bask in the adulation of his friends and family. But alas! As a nation, we seldom honour our heroes on time. That is why upon reflection on the history of our nation, I wish that Danquah had died a free man and been eulogized by Nkrumah. I also wish that Nkrumah had died here at home, surrounded by family and been eulogized by Busia. Those two episodes would have changed the spirit and tenor of our public discourse for the better. There are more examples where those two came from but the two will suffice.

Let us, from this day forward, make a sincere effort to find our heroes in all spheres of our national life and honour them while they can appreciate our gratitude, surrounded by their friends and family. Even while we regret the missed opportunities, we must begin making amends now. For Prof, may his epitaph be “Here rests Prof Adu Boahen, who wrote of great deeds by our ancestors and became one of our greatest by his deeds. May we gain knowledge from his words and inspiration from his deeds”.

Prof, Due, Damirifa Due