Prez Mahama, two former Presidents at memorial service

The memorial service for Mr Kwabena Pepera, an industrialist and philanthropist, in Accra yesterday served as a meeting point for some of the country’s political leaders.

The service, held at the Christ the King Catholic Church, was attended by President John Dramani Mahama and former Presidents J. J. Rawlings and J. A. Kufuor.

Other dignitaries who were at the service were the 2012 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; his running mate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, senior government officials and former ministers of state.

President Mahama paid his last respects to the late Mr Pepera on his arrival at the church service, and after the sermon, which was delivered by the Parish Priest, Rev Father Andrew Campbell, the President exchanged pleasantries with the former Presidents, as well as Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr Bawumia.

Mr Pepera died on January 21, 2013, at the age of 90. He is survived by his wife, Beatrice, eight children and 32 grandchildren.

He was one of the giants of Ghana's post-colonial private sector industrial development and served on several boards of state and financial institutions, including the National Investment Bank (NIB).

He was one of the founding fathers and initial shareholders of Ecobank.

In recognition of his long and distinguished contribution to Ghanaian industry, in 2006 the then President Kufuor bestowed on Mr Pepera the Order of the Star of Ghana, Ghana's highest civilian award.

In his sermon, Rev Father Campbell urged Ghanaians to lead clean, honest and transparent lives.

He said with Ghana's rich natural resources, the country should not be a Third World country but a First World nation.

He said Ghanaians were religious, but urged them to show commitment to the Word of God.

He said after death, God would not ask the dead about their property but rather how faithful they had been to Him.

Speaking of the late Mr Pepera, Rev Father Campbell said Mr Pepera had been a religious person and been good to his family, friends and country.

He stressed the need for all those who knew Mr Pepera to emulate his life.

By Musah Yahaya Jafaru/Ghana