{"id":19466,"date":"2014-05-19T10:56:58","date_gmt":"2014-05-19T10:56:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=19466"},"modified":"2014-05-19T11:21:16","modified_gmt":"2014-05-19T11:21:16","slug":"tributes-pour-in-for-p-v-obeng","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2014\/05\/tributes-pour-in-for-p-v-obeng\/","title":{"rendered":"Tributes pour in for P.V Obeng"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tributes are pouring in for the late senior presidential advisor, Paul Victor Obeng who died last Saturday of an asthma attack. Some top politicians and public servants on Monday recounted their experiences with the late P. V. Obeng on Citi Breakfast Show.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The late Obeng held various political and public positions in Ghana and worked closely with many politicians from both sides of the divide.<\/p>\n

Mr Obeng served in the Rawlings administration and was a senior advisor to the late President John Mills and continued in a similar role under current President, John Mahama.<\/p>\n

PV believed in Ghana – Nana Ato Dadzie<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Nana<\/a>
Nana Ato Dadzie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A former Chief of Staff under the Rawlings administration, Nana Ato Dadzie on the Citi Breakfast Show<\/strong> on Monday stated that Ghana has lost a gem.<\/p>\n

According to him, Mr. Obeng lived all his life in the public service and greatly contributed to the development of the nation.<\/p>\n

“To think that he started as a private man, a private engineer and drifted into government\u2026PV was a leader of the pack\u2026he pulled all of us together, he developed ideas and moved the country forward,\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n

He remarked that during the PNDC era, Mr. Obeng played a crucial role to move the country forward despite the challenges and hardships Ghanaians were experiencing.<\/p>\n

Mr. Dadzie said the late PV Obeng was a firm believer in Ghana, \u201che was a patriot, a nationalist; he believed that there was a brighter future for Ghana. When you look back today at how far we\u2019ve come, we are proud that we served.\u201d<\/p>\n

He further described the late senior presidential advisor \u00a0as \u201ca consensus man, a bridge builder, he was the type of person who could rally people round and push us to forget our pain\u2026and just move on.\u201d<\/p>\n

PV was not an extremist \u2013 John Ndebugri<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"John<\/a>
John Ndebugri<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A former PNDC secretary for the Northern Region, John Ndebugri said the news of the death of PV Obeng \u201cwas a shock to me\u2026I just was speechless and I think that it is a tragedy for Ghana.\u201d<\/p>\n

He recalled that Mr. Obeng had earlier complained that \u201cI [Ndebugri] am not in touch, I\u2019m not in touch. Apparently, maybe he wanted us to meet for the last time but I think that it\u2019s really, really tragic\u2026and I still do not want to accept it that he is gone just like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Ndebugri, who worked in the late PV Obeng\u2019s office during the PNDC era, noted that his former boss was a moderate politcian who always brought people together.<\/p>\n

These qualities, he said, is the possible reason \u201cchairman Rawlings at that time relied so heavily on him because he was able to hold the middle ground and bring all forces to the center at least for negotiations.\u201d<\/p>\n

PV was a teacher \u2013 Moses Asaga<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Moses<\/a>
Moses Asaga<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Moses Asaga on his part described the late PV Obeng as \u201can illustrious son of this country and I think that the NDC, government and the whole of Ghana have lost a baobab tree.\u201d<\/p>\n

He recollected that during his tenure as a deputy Finance Minister, \u201cI worked closely with him; he taught me a lot of things, on how to manage the economy, etcetera.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to him, when the NDC was in opposition \u201cI used to visit his home and then he will tell me what we must say or how to talk politely in Parliament, the issues that I must raise and that helped me a lot to have a balanced view as a ranking member for finance.\u201d<\/p>\n

PV had a huge brain capacity – Prof Akosa<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Professor<\/a>
Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A leading member of the Convention People\u2019s Party (CPP) and the Executive Director of Healthy Ghana, Professor Badu Akosa said although Mr. Obeng death came as a shock to him, it is not surprising for strong looking individuals to die unexpectedly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have seen this in my daily schedule of work. It happens all the time in this country. People either go to the loo and don\u2019t get up, those who are lucky are those who sleep and don\u2019t get up.\u201d<\/p>\n

The late PV Obeng reportedly had an asthma attack while driving on the Spintex road which resulted in his death but according to Prof. Akosa, Mr. Obeng had never complained about this illness \u201cbut I thought that he has been asthmatic for all these years and that he will be on regular treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n

He remarked that Mr. Obeng\u2019s schedule was huge \u201cbecause every time you have a meeting with him, he will eventually get there but most of the time, he will make a few detours before he gets back to you. But the fact of the matter is that he never complained.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prof Akosa marveled at the brain capacity of the late Obeng and his phenomenal ability to remember happenings in Ghana in years past.<\/p>\n

PV had a digital mind – Dr. Nii Moi Thompson<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Dr.<\/a>
Dr. Nii Moi Thompson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An economic advisor to the President, Dr. Nii Moi Thompson also on the Citi Breakfast Show<\/strong> said since he assumed this position, the late PV Obeng \u201cis the one person that I have developed the closest working relationship with.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to him, PV Obeng had \u201ca digital mind. While the rest of us are always going in circles, he always went straight to the point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Thompson recalled that his last interaction with him was at the National Economic Forum and \u201chis last words to me were, \u2018you know that you owe me\u2019 and he was referring to a report.\u201d<\/p>\n

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By: Efua Idan Osam\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
\nFollow @osamidan<\/a>
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