Very Reverend Father Dr. Ebenezer Akesseh, Parish Priest of Christ the King Parish in the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, has urged public office holders to make selfless leadership, humility and integrity central to their work.
He made the call at the maiden annual public lecture organised in honour of the late Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, former Minister for Defence.
The lecture was organised by the Ministry of Defence and the Pope John Old Boys Association (POJOBA) at Burma Hall in Accra to preserve the memory and public service legacy of the late minister.
Speaking on the theme, “Selfless Leadership in Public Service: Lessons from the Life and Legacy of Dr Edward Omane Boamah,” Father Akesseh said public leadership should be treated as a responsibility to serve rather than an opportunity to gain power, wealth or political recognition.
He said Ghana’s development depended on leaders who put patriotism, strong moral values and the welfare of citizens ahead of personal interests.
Father Akesseh described Dr. Omane Boamah as an example of a public servant whose life reflected compassion, humility, faith and commitment to others.
He recalled an incident after Dr. Omane Boamah left government in 2017, when the former minister reportedly carried a critically ill woman who was bleeding outside a hospital into the facility to receive emergency treatment.
According to him, the incident demonstrated the late minister’s willingness to put human life ahead of personal comfort.
The priest also said Dr. Omane Boamah believed in participatory leadership and often consulted experts and ordinary citizens before making important decisions.
He noted that the late minister’s humility helped him establish relationships and build trust across political and professional lines.
He said the late minister also believed that good leaders should develop future leaders rather than create followers, adding that he mentored several professionals who later served in public roles.
Father Akesseh urged current and future leaders to learn from Dr. Omane Boamah’s values of integrity, empathy, accountability, humility and patriotism.
He said the best way to honour the late minister was not simply to remember his achievements but to practise the values that guided his life and public service.
