Former Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has paid a deeply moving tribute to the late Dagomba Chief of Accra, Alhaji Abdul Kadir Tahir, describing him as his father, his chief and his Imam.

At the adua (funeral) of the late traditional leader and Islamic scholar in Accra, Dr Bawumia, who was visibly emotional, said the late chief was a rare man whose entire life was centred on God and preparation for the hereafter.

“He was my father, my chief and my Imam,” Dr Bawumia said in his tribute.

“He lived his life in preparation for the hereafter,” he added, noting that anyone who encountered the late chief could not miss his deep spirituality.

According to Dr Bawumia, a 10-minute visit to the chief would be dominated by prayers.

“If you visited him for 10 minutes, he used nine minutes of that for prayers,” he recounted.

The former Vice President said the late chief was not only a traditional leader but also a true teacher of Islam who constantly reminded those around him to hold fast to the Holy Qur’an.

“He used to tell me that all the solutions to the problems of this world are in the Holy Qur’an, so let us take the learning of the Holy Qur’an seriously so that we can get close to our Maker,” Dr Bawumia quoted him as saying.

The late Dagomba Chief of Accra was widely respected for his humility, wisdom and unwavering commitment to peace among Dagombas in the capital and between Dagombas and other ethnic groups.

Dr Bawumia said Ghana has lost a spiritual pillar, but his legacy of prayer, humility and devotion to Allah will continue to inspire generations.