President John Mahama has paid glowing tribute to the late former Council of State Chairperson and NDC stalwart, Cecilia Johnson, describing her as a towering figure whose life set a high standard for women in leadership.

Delivering the tribute on his behalf at her state funeral, Presidential Adviser Joyce Bawah Mogtari said the President viewed Madame Johnson as a beacon of integrity whose conduct should guide political actors today.

President Mahama underscored her inspirational example for women and girls, stating: “To Ghana's women and girls, Madame Cecilia's question, can I? Yes, you can leave with excellence and grace. You can chair the table and still make room for others. You can both be compassionate and courageous.”

He urged the youth to learn from her life of service, adding, “To our young people, her story teaches that citizenship is an action. Volunteer, organise, study, innovate, and when the time comes, please serve. Madame Cecilia was a loyal member of the great political tradition that shaped her public life.”

The President praised her unwavering commitment to party and country. “But even in her loyalty, she never forgot that the party serves the republic, not the other way around,” he said. “She modelled a politics that is principled, progressive, and patriotic. A politics that contests ideas without diminishing the nation we all share.”

Reflecting on her Christian faith and public service, he added: “Scripture tells us, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’ Enter into the joy of your Lord. We bid farewell to a woman who ran her race with honour.”

He concluded: “We thank God for the gift of her life and blessing of her example.”

Her daughter, Matilda Johnson, delivered a deeply personal tribute, describing her mother as a strong, determined woman who defied societal expectations even as a teenager.

“As a young woman, you ran away from home and the possibility of an arranged marriage because you desperately wanted to continue your education,” she recalled. She recounted how her mother pursued an opportunity at Achimota School until she was allowed to tell her story and secure a scholarship.

She also spoke of her mother’s resilience in the face of painful miscarriages, saying: “As a young wife, when doctors declared that you could never have your own child… You did not give up. The fact that I arrived prematurely made you even more determined to see me live.”

Matilda remembered her as a dedicated working mother: “As a new mother without a babysitter, you would place me in a carrier under your desk at the Ministry of Trade while you worked… You made the best of the situation till you found a nanny.”

She added, “One would have thought you would spoil me rotten, but you were very straight.” Cecilia Johnson, who died at age 79, served under late Presidents Jerry John Rawlings and John Evans Atta Mills, as well as under President Mahama. She was also the first General Secretary of the 31st December Women’s Movement.