Renowned cardiothoracic surgeon and former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has called on Ghanaians to honour the legacy of late President John Evans Atta Mills by embracing integrity, long-term national planning and a renewed commitment to science and technology-driven development.
Delivering the 14th Anniversary Commemorative Lecture in Accra on the theme, “Atta Mills, Fourteen Years On: A Better Ghana, Still Unbuilt,” Prof. Frimpong-Boateng described the late President as a leader whose legacy was defined by peace, humility, accountability, transparency and servant leadership.
He argued that while President Mills’ achievements during his three-and-a-half-year tenure deserved recognition, Ghana must honestly confront the question of what the country could have become had he completed his first term and served a second.
Reflecting on his personal encounters with the late President, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng revealed that although he was dismissed twice under the Mills administration, those experiences strengthened rather than diminished his admiration for the former President’s character.
He maintained that President Mills was an ethical and compassionate leader whose commitment to good governance was sometimes undermined by individuals who exploited his declining health to pursue personal interests.
The former minister praised the “Better Ghana Agenda,” noting that it delivered significant gains, including strong economic growth, single-digit inflation, expansion of healthcare and education, the commissioning of Ghana’s first commercial oil production, and the establishment of the University of Health and Allied Sciences and the University of Energy and Natural Resources.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng also highlighted Mills’ efforts to reduce the size of government, strengthen fiscal discipline, combat corruption and initiate constitutional reforms, describing those actions as evidence of genuine accountability. Read Also: GSA, Dealers Unite Against Unsafe Electrical Products
He, however, lamented that Ghana had missed several historic opportunities for industrialisation and technological advancement, arguing that the country’s persistent poverty was fundamentally a technology gap rather than a resource deficit.
The lecturer criticised successive governments for abandoning long-term development plans in favour of politically branded programmes that often ended with changes in administration. He also raised concerns over underfunding of universities, research institutions and environmental regulators, warning that such neglect was undermining Ghana’s future.
Addressing the daily challenges facing citizens, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng pointed to rising housing costs, food insecurity, transport difficulties, utility tariff increases and widening inequality as evidence that many Ghanaians continued to bear an increasing economic burden.
He proposed sustained investments in education, science, technology, industrialisation and public institutions, while calling for stronger anti-corruption measures, improved public transport, affordable housing and policies that place the welfare of ordinary citizens at the centre of governance. http://dailydemocratnewsonline.com
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng concluded that the greatest tribute to President Atta Mills would not be monuments or annual commemorations but building the “Better Ghana” he envisioned through integrity, disciplined leadership and policies that improve the lives of all Ghanaians.
