His Excellency Aliu Mahama, the longest serving Vice-President of the 4th Republic of Ghana, has passed on last Friday 17th November, 2012.

2012 will be a year to recall in the history of Ghana. For the 1st time in our history as a nation, we lost a sitting President (John Evans Atta Mills). In him, we lost a major Presidential candidate. For the 1st time in our history a Vice-President (John Mahama) has been sworn in as a President by constitutional recommendation. Through him, we have an un-elected Vice-President (Amissah-Arthur). In this same 2012 we have lost an illustrious Ex-Vice-President.

Ex-President Kuffour has said that 'Aliu Mahama died campaigning for NPP'. He served Ghana at the pinnacle of affairs and dying in a campaign for Ghana shows how much he loved his country.

I had a personal encounter with Aliu Mahama in the year 2005 at the Accra international conference centre where among other dignitaries; I met Bertrand Delanoe Mayor of Paris and Michael Bloomberg Mayor of New-York. He was a guest speaker for a conference on a forthcoming Olympics Games. After a long chat with him, I was exceptionally touched by the aura of warmth, humility and patriotism that complemented his personality. I told him how fortunate Ghana was, to have him as a vice-president.

A hero is gone. Let's pray for replacement.

Fare-thee-well Mr. Vice-President.

Hon. Osei Mensah

Ghacif President.