By Richard Kofi Attenkah
The Tema Metropolitan Assembly, on Friday, named the roundabout at Tema Community Three, on the fringes of Communities Two and Five, and behind the Lutheran Church, after a former Presidential Advisor, Mr. Paul Victor Obeng, of blessed memory.
The Tema political authority also named the street linking the roundabout to the Meridian Hotel-Community Three stretch after the late P.V. Obeng.
Now, the P. V. Obeng Roundabout and P.V. Obeng Avenue respectively, according to Mr. Isaac Ashai Odamtten, Tema Metropolitan Assembly Chief Executive, were to honour the man who spent most of his life serving not only Tema, but also Ghana as a nation.
Present at the unveiling ceremony were political big wigs, including Joseph Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, Greater Accra Regional Minister, the TMA boss among others, traditional authorities such as Nana Kwame Mensah Bonsu, Otumfuo’s Ahenenanahene, and Baffour Kotei Kutin Sraman II, Bremahene, among others.
The rest include Mr. Kwame Sara-Mensah, former Minister of State, Mr. Akwasi Oppong Fosu, Minister of State at the office of the President, Brigadier Francis Agyemfra, former Chief of Defence Staff, Rev. Fr. Isaac Maunger, Parish Priest, Good Shepherd Catholic Church, Mrs. Rose Obeng, the widow, children and other relations, as well as friends of the late P.V. Obeng.
Speaking at the ceremony, both the Greater Accra Regional Minister and the TMA boss eulogised the late P. V. Obeng, who, until his death a year ago, was the Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC).
Mr. Odamtten said the decision to name the roundabout and street after the former presidential advisor was to recognise his contributions to the development of Tema in particular, and the country at large. He said the late P. V. Obeng always thought of how Tema could be made a better place for people to live in, saying, “He had deep thoughts about how Tema could be made better at all times.”
According to him, the memory of the late P. V. Obeng will live on, because what he stood for transcends generations, citing instances where the former presidential advisor hatched plans to rehabilitate the 20-kilometre stretch of road, including the oval, from the TDC office area through the Tema Senior High School, Tema Polyclinic to the Agbamame end of the road.
On his part, the Greater Accra Regional Minister said the late P. V. Obeng was a unifier and tireless public servant who served his country well. The Member of Parliament for Kpone-Katamanso recounted how the late P. V. Obeng involved himself in all national calls, especially, where ideas were being sought from well-meaning Ghanaians for the betterment of Mother Ghana.