The former United Nation’s Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has passed away after a short illness. Before his passing, Kofi Annan in a letter to the son of late J.H. Mensah described the late statesman as “an example and mentor to many and will long be remembered as a founding father of an independent democratic Ghana.”

The letter was captured at the tributes section of the funeral brochure for J.H. Mensah’s burial.

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Read the letter he wrote to J.H. Mensah’s son:

Mr. P.K Mensah

15 July 2018

Dear P.K.

I was very sorry to learn of the passing of your father, allow me to convey my deepest condolences to you and all the members of your family.

Joseph Henry was a leader amongst a generation of Ghanaian public servants who stewarded the country through independence and worked tirelessly to deliver on the hopes and aspirations of her people.

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At home, and as an official of the UN and later the African Union, his intellect, dedication and humility rightly earned him the respect of all his peers, and I am not surprised to see the many expressions of and grief and public messages that have been issued these past days. He was an example and mentor to many and will long be remembered as a founding father of an independent democratic Ghana.

I will be in Accra over the coming months and hope to have the chance to personally express my sympathies. Sincerely, — with warmest personal regards.

Signed

Kofi A. Annan