Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng calls for integrity, innovation to fulfil Atta Mills’ vision for Ghana

Former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has called on Ghanaians to uphold the values of integrity, accountability and innovation to realise the vision of a “Better Ghana” championed by the late President John Evans Atta Mills.

Delivering the keynote address at the 14th Anniversary Commemorative Lecture on the theme, “Atta Mills, Fourteen Years On: A Better Ghana, Still Unbuilt,” Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said Ghana’s future would be shaped not by political rhetoric but by the everyday decisions of citizens and public servants.

“The battle for Ghana’s future is not fought in press conferences or party conventions. It is fought in the decisions of public servants who choose honesty over convenience,” he said.

According to him, national development also depends on engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs who dedicate their skills and resources to building the country, as well as citizens who insist on transparency and accountability from public officials.

“It is fought in the offices of engineers and scientists who stay in Ghana and work here, in the workshops of entrepreneurs who manufacture rather than import, and in the hands of citizens who demand accountability from those who govern them,” he stated.

Prof. Frimpong-Boateng described technology and innovation as critical tools for tackling poverty, arguing that Ghana’s development gap is fundamentally a technological one.

“The poverty gap is a technology gap. Closing it requires not the boldness of one president’s initiative, but the sustained commitment of a nation across generations and across administrations,” he stressed.

Reflecting on the legacy of President Atta Mills, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said the late statesman believed that effective leadership was grounded in character and service to the people.

“He understood that a constitution is only as strong as the character of those who serve by it. Above all, he understood that leadership is not about power; it is about service,” he noted.

He said President Mills envisioned a Ghana where public institutions worked efficiently, talented professionals were encouraged to contribute to national development, and ordinary citizens received quality public services without political influence.

The former minister urged Ghanaians to honour the late President’s legacy by translating his ideals into action rather than limiting his memory to monuments and annual commemorations.

“The tribute most worthy of him is not one carved in stone, but one lived every day in the choices of those entrusted with Ghana’s future,” he concluded.

The lecture formed part of activities marking the 14th anniversary of the passing of President John Evans Atta Mills, whose presidency is widely remembered for its emphasis on humility, integrity, constitutional governance and selfless public service.