Dr. Hilla Limann: A Scholar, A Distinguished Public Servant, A Gentleman, A President, A Hero (Part 2)

It was Booker T. Washington who once said: "Success is not measured by the height one attains but by the obstacles one overcomes in its attainment". Let us put the above in another context.

A President's success is not measured by the height the economy has reached on exiting office but rather by how far the economic journey has moved from the depths it started from as at the President's inauguration.

Arguably, the Ghanaian Head of State who started his presidency on the most depressing of economic and political notes was President Hilla Limann.

President Nkrumah inherited a buoyant economy from the colonialists. Politically, it was even better. Gold-Coasters and the rest of Africa, and indeed the rest of the world, were cheering the Gold Coast on.

Prime Minister Kofi Abrefah Busia inherited from the NLC government of General A. A. Afrifa an economy which though struggling, had somewhat stabilized over the three-year rule of the NLC. Politically, Nkrumahists were happy to see the back of the military junta that had overthrown the government of President Nkrumah. On the other side of the spectrum, supporters of the UP tradition were happy to be ushering in the government of the Progress Party.

In my opinion, President Rawlings took over an economy that was in a better shape than it was (HIPC) when he was exiting. To add to the HIPC status at the end of the Rawlings' presidency was the fact that proceeds from the massive sale of state assets - not necessarily a bad policy - did not reflect in the living standards of the average Ghanaian.

President J.A Kufuor inherited an economy that was at best HIPC (Highly Indebted and Poor Country). Politically, it was far from ideal given that President Kufuor's presidency followed that of a man whose combined 19 year leadership brought in its wake the execution of three former Heads of State (Afrifa, Acheampong and Akufo) and the overthrow of another (Limann). Especially, when this man, Mr. Rawlings, delivered a “boom” speech barely six months into the presidency of President J. A. Kufuor

President Atta-Mills inherited an economy that was not only strong but was on the verge of producing oil. Ghana was soon to be classified as Middle Income (Lower Division) effective 2006. Ghana, on the eve of the Mills Presidency was the toast of the world for its good governance and democratic credentials. This made Ghana the first port of call in sub-Saharan Africa by US President Barack Obama. In fact in the preceding year another US President, George Bush, had also visited Ghana. Two US Presidents visiting Ghana within the time span of a little over a year is more than a testament to a nation's political and economic status and potential.

President John Mahama was the first President to inherit an economy that was oil producing. Indeed, and for what it is worth, Ghana had been described by some, including the IMF, as the fastest growing economy in the world in the year preceding the start of the Mahama presidency.

There are no words to describe the pitiable state of the Ghanaian economy, the Ghanaian people and Ghana's standing in the International Community at the time President Limann took office. Hardly surprising when you consider the fact that Dr. Limann's government had followed what has proven to be the most brutal, the most chaotic, and the most inept government in Ghana's history - the government of the infamous Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC). The AFRC had itself followed a string of military juntas (NRC, SMC I and SMC II). Under AFRC, not only was it as if Ghana had frozen in time, but resources were plundered with reckless abandon. Lawlessness and arbitrariness became the order of the day. Successful entrepreneurs were hounded out, if they were lucky. Some unlucky ones were killed. The others who remained became pale shadows of their former selves. The budding Ghanaian spirit was at its lowest ebb.

A nation's real resource lies in its human capacity. The Ghanaian spirit, what was left of it, was totally broken by the time the AFRC was ready to say that enough "blood had flowed". Our economy, at best was non-existent. If ever there was a Ground Zero in any aspect of Ghana's history, that was then. Ghana was a pariah state even in the local sub-region.

Such was the State of Ghana when Dr. Hilla Limann was inaugurated on September 24, 1979 as the President of the Third Republic of Ghana.

Gilbert Adu Gyimah
Alberta, Canada
[email protected]