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A group photograph of Major Mahama (circled) and his classmates at the Akosombo International School in 1994. Picture: ESINAM OSEI
A group photograph of Major Mahama (circled) and his classmates at the Akosombo International School in 1994. Picture: ESINAM OSEI

Tribute by school mates of Akosombo International School (2001 Year Group)

A Tribute to the First National Hero of Our Generation – By AIS (JHS) 2001 Year Group.

In the summer of 47 BC, after he had won a swift and decisive victory at the Battle of Zela, an elated Julius Caesar retreated to his tent to write a short letter to the Senate of Rome. Not at all wanting to prevaricate on the nature of his victory, Ceasar wrote the now immortal words: “Veni, vidi, vici” – “I came, I saw, I conquered.

These are the words that we feel best describes the life of Captain Maxwell Adams Mahama – or Max, as we referred to him. Max’s warrior spirit, and exemplary sense of leadership was evident to those of us who grew up with him in Akosombo.

It therefore came as no surprise to us when Maxwell joined the Ghana Army and rose through the ranks swiftly and with seeming ease. Growing up with Max was a joy. He was, in the most unequivocal of terms, the bravest and the most adventurous of us all. His athleticism, combined with his very cerebral pattern of thought and intellectual curiosity made him an all-rounder and the kind of person we all wanted to be around.

He was all things to all men, and one could not help but be attracted to his personality. It is no wonder that we always followed Maxwell home after school to play over at his house instead of returning to our individual homes. This did not go down too well with Max’s father as I am sure you can imagine - and neither did it please our parents.

Max’s infectious character was hard to miss, and his smile always conveyed significant sense of warmth and friendship. For most of us, we have known fewer better and more decent men than Max. Fitness and sport were a huge part of Max’s life – he had significant competences in almost every sport you can think of; football, swimming, volleyball, gymnastics, hockey amongst others. Of all these however, Max had a special love for tennis – and he was extremely good at it. Some of us took an interest in tennis because of Max – such was his influence.

And though some of us were never as good as he was, he always made time to teach us a thing or two – and whenever we felt discouraged, thinking that our game was rubbish, Max would encourage us after poking a bit of fun about the dog’s dinner of a game we have just played out on the court.

Much like Tennis, Max also had a special place in his heart for his country; ‘Ghana can be better and Ghana must better’, is what he often said to some of us. For Max, serving Ghana was not just a choice - he viewed his service to the country he loved as a calling – and that is why he never hesitated or responded with reluctance whenever he was asked to put in himself in harm’s way to ensure the safety and security of the Ghanaian people.

On Wednesday the 10th of May of this year, Maxwell made us aware through our group chat on WhatsApp that he was heading out to Diaso to command a detachment of soldiers to enforce our laws against Galamsey and protect our environment. We wished him well and asked him to stay safe, to which he replied that he would be returning soon, and that his little boys would be holding the fort till he returned; “My little boys are very reliable”, he wrote, “Their only weakness is their love for cartoons”.

How we wish we could turn back the hands of time – how we wish that we could make the earth spin counter-clockwise. Words cannot express enough, the sorrow and anger we feel about the passing of our dear Max. The 29th of May 2017 is a date which will be forever seared into the deepest and darkest pages of this nation’s history. We have lost a dear friend, and Ghana has lost a gallant and patriotic son.

We consider Max to be the first national hero of our generation – a man who put his life in harm’s way, and gave his today for our tomorrow. It is not our intention to enlarge Max in death to make him more than he was in life, but rather our intention is to honour and remember him as a most decent human being who fought for what he believed in, who saw wrong and tried to right it, and who gave his life in the service of the national interest. That’s our hero – that’s our Max.

Max, you can trust that we will do everything we can to provide every necessary support to Barbara and your boys. And when at some future date, the Supreme Court of history sits in judgement on your time with us, it will recall that you were a man of courage – it will recall that you were a man of integrity and sound judgement – it will recall that you were a man dedicated to your country and its cause – and it will recall that you came, you saw, and that you conquered. History will forever remember your name, and future generations will forever be in your debt. You are forever in our hearts and minds. Find rest in the bosom of the Lord Major

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