By Iddi Muhayu-Deen
It
is true that DEATH is INEVITABLE as every living soul on earth shall DEFINITELY
taste the agony of death at some point, which may be just a second away. Death
is also no respecter of persons and gives no damn to one’s age, cultural,
political, economic, and social status. Our Holy Books further give credence to
this natural order and no man can run away from this reality. Whilst this is
true, it is also true that, the consequences of losing a loved one are
unbearable and sometimes could get very devastating.
And
certainly, losing somebody like Hon. Kyeremateng Agyarko, who had reached the
peak of his service to his country and humanity, cannot be more devastating.
The former FDA boss under the Kufuor administration, who until his sudden
passing, was the MP for the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency and Chairman of
the Environment, Science and Technology Committee of Parliament, was an
embodiment of humility, integrity, generosity and selflessness. His commitment
to serving his constituents and to the cause of the NPP as well as to the
Project Ghana is unwavering.
It is not surprising that the common denominator
running through all the tributes trickling in speak to Hon. Agyarko’s
compassion and down to earth attribute which he demonstrated unconditionally
and throughout his life. Let me also use this opportunity to share a personal
experience I had with the late MP. Sometime in 2015, soon after I handed over
as NUGS General Secretary, social media was awash with a certain self-incriminating chat purportedly coming from me to
the then NUGS President, in which I was alluding to my being in bed with the
NDC and close association with Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa and Dr. Omane Boamah.
This
fakechat orchestration was engineered; regrettably, by some of my colleagues in
the party youth wing to paint me as a mole in the party. Their reason was
simple; to get back at me for certain “uncompromising positions” I took while
serving as General Secretary of the nation’s largest student movement which
didn’t sit well with them.
Unable to stand the treachery and stigma at the time
and after weeping profusely, I picked my pen to write officially to communicate
my decision of resigning entirely from politics. Only when I was about doing
that, my phone started ringing; a strange number it was, when I picked the
call, it was Hon. Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko, whom I had never met nor spoken
to. He called, first of all, to express his sympathy following what had
happened to me and to give me the needed courage and fortitude to endure those
difficulties and obstructions. He assured me of his ever readiness to support
me in my undertakings and had, in fact, since became a fatherly figure to me.
The rest, like they say, is history.
But, as I pointed out, this was a man I had not
known personally from Adam. I wasn’t his constituent either. Yet, he had shown
so much concern in my wellbeing and gave me hope of a promising future. Having
listened to him and taken a cue from his nuggets of wisdom, today, I am serving the party in a position of privilege. Hon. Agyarko couldn’t
have had a more positive impact in my life. He had done that to so many others
and across the political divide.
This attribute of Hon. Agyarko was obviously what
endeared him as the most successful MP in the history of the most elitist
constituency in Ghana, the Ayawaso West Wuogon, which hosts the University of
Ghana, Airport Residential Area and parts of Dzowulo, GIMPA, GIL, UPSA,
Presec-Legon etc. He was loved by all especially the students who would on any
day vote for Hon. Emmanuel Agyarko as their MP even if they were not
sympathetic to the NPP.
Hon. Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko, your sudden
departure from this earth is a big blow not only to the NPP but the whole of
Ghana and more importantly, a loss to humanity. We celebrate you for a life
well lived.
Damerefa Due!!
Iddi
Muhayu-Deen
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