The Upper West Regional Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Issah Kantagyere Bonsingmwini, has paid a glowing tribute to the party’s first and longest-serving Regional Chairman, the late Alhaji Issahaku Malik, describing him as “a political colossus” and “a visionary whose life embodied hope, unity, and empathy.”
In a Facebook post on Sunday November 2, 2025, Comrade Bonsingmwini said the NDC family in the region had lost more than a politician. “Our eyes are heavy, our hearts weighed down by a profound loss, yet lifted by the immense privilege of having known a great man,” he said. “We heard the unpalatable news under a heavy sky, but we are here to celebrate and honor the life of our father, our guide, our hero, our mentor, and above all, a political colossus.”
He described Alhaji Malik as “a man whose house was open to everyone, regardless of ethnicity, creed, age, gender, education, or location.” According to Comrade Bonsingmwini, the late chairman was one of the founding fathers of the NDC whose name “is forever woven into the very fabric of our political identity in the Upper West Region.”
“In an era when our region’s voice often struggled to be heard on the national stage, Alhaji Malik saw not a periphery, but a people of immense potential,” Comrade Bonsingmwini said. “He saw the hardworking farmer in Jirapa, the vibrant youth in Wa, the wise elder in Tumu, and the untapped promise in every corner of our land.”
He noted that the late Chairman Malik was instrumental in laying the foundation of the NDC in the Upper West Region, adding that “this was not an act of mere ambition; it was an act of profound love – love for this soil, love for our people, and a burning belief in the principles that birthed the Fourth Republic: justice, probity, accountability, and transparency.”
Comrade Bonsingmwini said the late regional chairman was a selfless leader who served the party and the region faithfully for 22 years, from 1992 to 2014. “He was not a leader who sought the comfort of an office; he was a son of the Upper West whose feet were firmly planted in our red earth,” he said. “I can still see him under the punishing sun or the gentle moon, sitting on a simple bench, listening to the grievances of the farmer, the aspirations of the teacher, and the dreams of the market woman.”
He described the late chairman’s leadership as one rooted in humility and service. “He understood that true politics was not about speaking, but about hearing; not about power, but about service,” he stated.
Comrade Bonsingmwini recalled that in moments of political turmoil and uncertainty, “his voice was the steadying force that reminded us of our core principles.” He likened the late Alhaji Malik to “our Akatamanso – a symbol of strength, protection, memory, hope, and unwavering presence.”
He praised the deceased for building bridges across ethnic and social divides. “Alhaji Malik taught us that politics is an extension of our community values – respect for elders, care for the vulnerable, and a collective responsibility for our common good,” he said.
According to Comrade Bonsingmwini, the late chairman’s legacy lives on in the development and political consciousness of the region. “It is in the schools that were built because he advocated for them, in the roads that connect our communities because he insisted on them, and in the confidence with which our youth now engage in the democratic process,” he said.
“As we bid you farewell, our dear father and founding member, we do not say goodbye to your spirit. We say thank you,” Comrade Bonsingmwini concluded. “Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for your vision. Thank you for giving us a voice. Your physical presence is gone, but your legacy is a seed that has been deeply planted.”
He prayed that the late Mr. Malik would “find eternal peace in the bosom of the Lord,” adding, “May the earth of your homeland, which you loved so dearly, receive you gently.”
Source: www.KumasiMail.Com/JosephZiem
