EULOGY IN MEMORY OF THE LATE DR SETH YEBOA BIMPONG-BUTA

EULOGY IN MEMORY OF THE LATE DR SETH YEBOA BIMPONG-BUTA

Richard Obeng Mensah

On 4^th June 1940 you were born into this beautiful world;

Ghana was not only blessed to welcome you at your birth but also to witness your nurturing, growth and monumental contribution to its development, and that of Africa and the world.

Dr. S. Y Bimpong-Buta, you were more than a genius;

you were called into the Ghana Bar and the Bar of England and Wales in 1967 and 1987 respectively; in 2005 you obtained your PhD in Law from the University of South Africa; you served as the Director of Legal Education/Director of the Ghana School of Law for about 12 years; you also served the Council of Law Reporting and the Ghana Legal Aid Board for 20 years and 3 years respectively. You also served on several statutory bodies such as the General Legal Council.

You were a light to legal education and constitutional jurisprudence in Ghana and within the Commonwealth; thank you for immensely contributing to Continuing Legal Education in Ghana. Beyond being the Editor/Publisher of eleven volumes of the Supreme Court of Ghana Law Reports from 1996 to 2010, and a Consulting Editor/Editor-in-Chief of subsequent volumes; you published 6 books in Ghana. Gambia is blessed to be a beneficiary of your prowess and acumen in law reporting.  Of your chain of publications in law journals and conference papers; Australia, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Gambia, United Kingdom and the United States of America are proud of your positive role in the conferences you attended on their lands. Nigeria and South Africa are particularly grateful for your visiting lectures; the General Council of the Ghana Bar Association was right in elevating you to the status of Senior Advocate of Ghana; your life was decorated with numerous awards and certificates by several local and international reputable bodies in acknowledgment of your great works. No wonder you were elected to a Fellow of Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.

   

You were a great father and mentor to me; I used to know you from books but sometime in 2010 God caused our paths to cross by courtesy of National Union of Ghana Students and Africa Leadership Initiatives’ ALIncubator; our last interactions at your residence in February 2018 are still fresh in my mind; I still remember that evening when I escorted you to buy LPG gas for your family; despite your numerous commitments, you made time for your family, protégés and God.  I admire your beautiful humility, you were so approachable and down-to-earth; you were generous to many, the Supreme Court Law Reports and the books you gifted to me attest to your generosity; you were frank in words and deeds; your counsel were always spot-on and devoid of pretence; you were God-fearing and always sought to correct the wrong irrespective of the opposition.

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Why have you left us at the time we needed you most?

When I heard of your death on 24^th August 2018, it sounded like an expensive joke but it turned out to be a painful truth; Your Maker had permitted it to be so although your loved ones count it as a great lost to humanity; we are proud of your great legacy which are worth emulating; as you have been laid to rest today (27^th October 2018), may the faithful God remember your good works and generosity. May you enter His rest.

The writer is a certified life and leadership coach, a legal academic and a prolific author of 7 books and over 200 articles. Blog: www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com Email: richardobengmensah@gmail.com.