Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, on Sunday, lauded Ghana’s late Prime Minister, Professor Kofi Abrefa Busia, for steering his administration from the revenge that he suffered in his political career. “Dr Busia fought to entrench development in freedom. It is that model that has helped us to chalk the modest gains, which have repositioned Ghana.” Vice President Mahama was speaking at an open–door commemorative church service at Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo Region, which was organised by the Busia Foundation International to mark the 30th anniversary of the death of Prof Busia. It was attended by a cross section of people including ministers of state and chiefs. The late Premier was born on July 11, 1913 at Wenchi and died in Oxford in the United Kingdom on August 28, 1978. Vice President Mahama noted that the most enduring aspect of Prof Busia’s character was his selfless leadership and exemplary service to his community, nation and the world at large. “However, also very evident in this life of service is sacrifice and pain. His close and loved ones had to suffer in silence and great pain even as the fruit of his struggles benefited many other people,” he said. He mentioned Naa Morkor Busia, former First Lady, who recounted in a documentary on Prof Busia that, her family was denied accommodation in Accra by landlords for fear of reprisals from state security. Vice President Mahama observed that those aspiring for public office ought to demonstrate humility, which is the hallmark of exemplary service. Prof Busia was forced into exile in 1959 by the Kwame Nkrumah administration and returned in 1966, when the government was overthrown by a military coup. He formed the Progress Party and became Prime Minister in 1969 when his party won a general election. However in 1972, the National Redemption Council (NRC) led by then Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong overthrew his government. Prof George Gyan-Baffour, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning and Member of Parliament for Wenchi, said the exemplary life of Prof Busia should enable politicians to embrace humility, honesty, care and respect for each other. “We need to learn from him that freedom and liberty of our people are better ensured by a political system that is based on democratic ideals and the rule of law and that arbitraries and dictatorship are unaccepted under any circumstance. “Dialogue, listening to each other’s views, tolerating dissent and agreeing to disagree are the fundamental foundation blocks for peaceful co-existence, which is essential for a prosperous nation building.” Prof Gyan-Baffour stressed: “We need to learn from him (Prof Busia) that even though democracy is so far the best system of government that mankind has evolved, it is still not at all an ideal system and that not all can enjoy its full benefits.” Vice President Mahama paid a courtesy call on the family of Prof Busia, where he interacted with Nana Kusi Appeah, the only surviving brother of the former Prime Minister and laid a wreath on the tomb of the late Prime Minister. Nana Ama Busia, sister of Prof Busia, who is Founder of the Busia Foundation and Member of the Council of State, commended Alhaji Mahama for his commitment to the activities of the Foundation since its inception 10 years ago. Source: GNA