The year was 1976, the month, May. I was a second year Law Student at the University of Ghana, Legon, and President of the JCR, Commonwealth Hall.
In those days, Commonwealth Hall used to change its JCR Executives every term, and my Trinity Term Government of 1975/76 inherited a very delicate problem.
During the first term, the JCR took a decision to pond the Hall Bursar, and after investigations into the incident, the Senior Tutor, Prof George Benneh, Head of Geography Department wrote formally to me as JCR President that we should apologise otherwise all the five students involved will be rusticated from the university.
I convened a JCR meeting and we resolved that we will NOT apologise for ponding the Hall Bursar. The following night I was asleep when a 3rd Year Law Student paid me a midnight visit.
“Effah Dee,” he started, almost crying “I come from a very poor village in Volta Region. If you don’t write the letter of apology and they sack me, where am I going to, Mr. President?”
Next morning I went to Balme Library, picked up the encyclopedia and checked up the meaning of “APOLOGY” then came and wrote an official letter headed: “ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT” and sent it to the Senior Tutor.
Three days later, while walking to lectures at the law faulty, I saw Prof Benneh walking, alone, towards the Geography Department. I rushed and fell in step with him.
“Good afternoon, Prof.”
“Go away, you bad boy. Your letter is NOT a letter of apology, but I will not mind you…”
Born and bred in Berekum, like me, he was educated at Achimota School and Legon and at a young age started work as a lecturer at the Geography Department at the University of Ghana.
His father was the famous I W Benneh, President Kwame Nkrumah’s
Minister for Rural Industries and MP for Berekum. The rumour was that the man had minimum 40 children, except that he sent each one of them to the university as a graduate, including Prof George Benneh.
President Limann appointed Prof as Minister for Finance, and I remember after the 31st December Revolution of 1981, we announced that all Ministers and MPs should report to the nearest police station.
Dressed fully as an Army Officer, I went to Cantonment’s Police Station to check on the politicians and I saw several of them led by Prof Benneh, in cloth, holding a pillow, asking me: “Effah, mooye yen den?” (What are you doing with us?)
He returned to campus as a lecturer, later Pro Vice Chancellor and became the first Berekum-born child to become Vice Chancellor of Legon.
After his retirement, he was living quietly in his East Legon residence when UDS decided to honour him with a doctorate degree – I was then MP for Berekum and Deputy Minister for Local Government, and present at the occasion.
The sad news from his home is that after a full age, more than 80 years, he has accepted a writ of summons to appear before Almighty God.
What can we, left behind by Prof, learn from his life? Any special attributes? Legacy?
First and foremost, Prof George Benneh was a very good natured
person, with a smile for everybody, a simple honest teacher, avoiding controversy with anybody. No wonder he became Vice Chancellor and no wonder God gave him so many years to enjoy life under the sun. Rest in Peace, Prof.
Those of us from Berekum always saw him as a torch bearer – the Berekum boy, Minister for Finance, wow, Vice Chancellor of University of Ghana!!!
The second major lesson from Prof is that anybody who wants to enter
politics should first and foremost try to become SOMEBODY in your own right, before entering the quicksand of politics. Try to be a successful lawyer, a medical doctor, architect, a successful businessman because there is no guarantee of CERTAINTY in politics. Thank God there would be no military coups again in Ghana, but you can lose your seat in Parliament, the President can drop you as a Minister… and what happens to you?
After the 31st December 1981 coup, Prof George Benneh just returned to Legon as lecturer in Geography Department and ended up becoming Vice Chancellor!!!
One trait I must mention of Prof is that – he was not greedy for money. Some people grab money with both hands, boasting loudly that they have houses in every regional capital… and so what? The late lawyer E D Kom one day told me personally at the High Court that “Effah, build one house in Accra and one in your hometown where you can sleep. Then give your children the best of education and remainder of your money – enjoy it and die. Period.
Apart from his house at East Legon, Prof had a show piece mansion next to his father’s house by the road side in Berekum, and that is all. He was not ostentatious and he lived frugally, former President of FASU- Federation of African Sporting Universities.
The passing of Professor George Benneh is the end of an era. It is like the fall of the traditional Odum tree in the centre of town. He will be fondly remembered for a long time by all those who knew him, and his name will certainly live forever in Achimota School and University of Ghana, Legon.
He will continue to be an inspirer for generations yet unborn from Berekum and Bono Region. May God keep you in His bosom, Prof.
As the Romans will say, REQUIESCAT IN PACE.
By Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey