ALIU MAHAMA: EXCELLENCY WITH HUMILITY; POWER WITH MEEKNESS

Aliu delivering an address

Aliu, cool and collected

The first phone call I received the previous day from Ghana conveyed to me the news of the sickness of H. E Aliu Mahama. "Apostle Ntumy, your friend, the former Vice President, is sick. It has been reported over TV that his condition is critical" the caller told me. Subsequent calls, SMS notifications, and emails followed, conveying the same news.

Then the following day the news of his demise; Alhaji Aliu Mahama, the former Vice President of Ghana is no more.

And so it happened---that within one calendar year and only a few months apart, Ghana had lost a sitting President and a former Vice President.

Aliu in traditional outfit

The late Alhaji Aliu Mahama stepped into the political limelight in an amazing manner---directly into the office of Vice President.He considered his office as a sacred duty to God and his people. This undergirded all his actions which he undertook without self-advertising or ostentation.

In an amazing manner, Aliu Mahama combined Excellency as Veep with humility, power with meekness, officialdom with simplicity and gave governance a genuine human face. These qualities, as many people know, are scarce commodities, especially, in the arenas of power.

Aliu and I, both in traditional outfit in his Castle office

When I heard of the news, tears streaked down my cheeks. I have lost a friend. He invited me many times to his office at the Castle. He visited me at home when I survived what looked like an assassination attempt against me. He was in church to launch my autobiography. He was the guest of honor at my end-of-term service as Chairman of The Church of Pentecost and sat through the entire four-hour service.

At the official level, I served with him on the Ghana AIDS Commission. He attended our General Council meeting a couple of times and attended the funeral of my predecessor, Prophet Martinson Yeboah. The amazing thing he did was to go to the Osu Cemetery with us. He really endeared himself to us.

With his death, Ghana has lost a precious son who served his nation with great devotion and decorum, selflessness and faithfulness.

On this sorrowful ccasion, I extend my deepest condolences to the President, H. E, John Mahama, the Government and People of Ghana, his widow, Haj Ramatu, and their entire family.

Ghana's "Political Quartet" 2008
"Number One Man"--H. E John Agyekum Kufuor, then President, 2nd from right
"Number Two Man"---H. E Aliu Mahama, then Vice President, 1st from right
"Number Three Man"---Rt  Hon Sekyi-Hughes, then Speaker of Parliament, 1st from left
"Number Four Person"---H. L Georgina Theodora Wood, Chief Justice

 In this life there are many people who do not know how to play the "number two" position, the supportive role. They must be in the driving seat or our car is on the wrong road; they must be in the spotlight otherwise we are off tangent: they must be the Number One man otherwise nothing is happening.  Among the numerous tributes that could be offered, this is my greatest to Aliu Mahama:
HE SHOWED GHANAIANS HOW TO PLAY THE NUMBER TWO POSITION IN LIFE---AT ALL LEVELS

ACHIEVING YOUR DREAMS

Yes, by the grace of God, my new book, ACHIEVING YOUR DREAMS, is out. True to our expectations, the books were delivered to our residence on Wednesday 31st October, 2012

MRS MARTHA NTUMY

"O great, this is the most beautiful of all our books" said Martha my wife.

Well, don't be too quick to remind my wife that, "We don't judge a book by its cover" Listen to the recommendations of some church leaders:

AP. DR. OPOKU ONYINAH

1. Before Apostle Dr. Ntumy's terms of chairmanship of The Church of Pentecost expired, a social commentator approached me and remarked that the leadership of the church must not give him any active pastoral work. Rather he must be assigned to write books for Christians and society at large. Indeed this is what he is doing--- with only one finger.

I recommend this book to you because it is borne out of the author's personal experience.  It is practical, realistic and hope-giving.
Ap. Dr Opoku Onyinah, Chairman, The Church Of Pentecost

AP. SAMPSON OFORI YIADOM

2.  “You may not be able to add more years to your life but you can add more life to your years. The book "Achieving Your Dreams" serves that purpose.
“It challenges you to climb out of your window to pursue your dream by following certain principles that help make the dream a reality.
“Reading this book would not only make you a dreamer but more importantly an achiever.”

Apostle Sampson Ofori Yiadom
National Head, The Church Of Pentecost, Germany

3. ‘This book is genuine “dream medicine”. If you have never “dreamed in God”, read it and you will begin to. If you have, read it and you will be inspired to dream bigger and better...and you will achieve your dreams.’

Rev Lionel Currie

Bridge Street Pentecostal Church

Leeds, United Kingdom

AP. ALFRED KODUAH

4. "The popular American blind lady educator, activist and journalist, Helen Keller, was once asked: “What can be worse than to be blind?” She responded: “The only thing 
worse than being blind is having sight without a vision”.

 How true this statement is! 

Indeed, there are many people in this world who have no dreams or plans for their lives, families or jobs. Some of them think that somehow things would just work out by themselves while others count on the grace of God even without their involvement.

This is one of the challenges Apostle Dr. Michael Kwabena Ntumy seeks to address in this challenging book.

I encourage everybody to take the contents of this book seriously. It will surely enable the reader to develop dreams, plan towards achieving those dreams and make it possible for them to enjoy the fruits of those dreams forever."

Apostle Alfred Koduah, General Secretary, The Church of Pentecost

REV. JOHN GLASS

5. "Prepare yourself for a feast.  Get ready to be inspired.  What you are about to read in the chapters that follow have not been gleaned from the dusty corridors of sterile academia – as important as learning is – but has been distilled through the crucible of deep experience and lived out through the dedicated service of a life devoted to God."

(Culled from the Foreword to the book)

Rev. John Glass
General Superintendent,
Elim Pentecostal Churches, U. K 

Well, I don't have to be a mentalist to know the question on your mind, "Where can I get my copy?" The book was printed here in Germany. Distribution is being made in Europe first. Arrangements are being made for Ghana and North America.

This is the third book I have written in three years---with one finger. Needless to reiterate, I am really thankful to God for the writing grace He has given me. It gives me great joy in the LORD as I realize that where I cannot go now, my books and my prayers can.

THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO STAND WITH ME