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Farewell to former Speaker Ala-Adjetey
Accra, Oct. 11, Ghanadot/GNA – The mortal
remains of the late Peter Ala-Adjetey, a celebrated lawyer
and former Speaker of Parliament, were on Friday laid to
rest at La cemetery in Accra.
This was preceded by a state funeral service at the
forecourt of Parliament House.
President John Agyekum Kufuor and his wife, Theresa, Vice
President Alhaji Aliu Mahama and his wife Rahmatu, Mr
Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi Hughes, Speaker of Parliament, Chief
Justice Georgina Theodore Wood, Ministers, Members of
Parliament (MPs) and the Judiciary, were among the huge
crowd of mourners who attended.
Also present were former President Jerry John Rawlings and
his wife, Nana Konadu as well as the presidential candidates
of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwah
Akufo-Addo and Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the
National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Numerous tributes were paid to his memory and the common
theme, which ran through them was the acknowledgement of his
exceptional academic brilliance, firmness, sense of courage,
fairness and significant contribution to Ghana’ democracy.
President Kufuor, in a eulogy, read by the Attorney-General
and Minister of Justice, Joe Ghartey, said the late Speaker
lived a life worth celebrating.
“A man of many parts, in his chosen profession – law, he
achieved greatness. In his calling - politics, he achieved
greatness. As a legislator, he achieved greatness and also
as a statesman, he achieved greatness.”
He said his carefully thought out arguments, his clarity of
thought, as well as speech, led him to stand out, undeniably
tall among his peers.
President Kufuor noted the landmark cases he led in court at
the return of the country to constitutional rule in 1992,
which, he said, afforded the Supreme Court the opportunity
to give meaning to various provisions of the Constitution
and establish the underlying fundamental principles of
democratic governance in the body politic.
Among these were the case of the NPP versus the Ghana
Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), in which the Supreme Court
ruled that the Corporation as a state-owned institution was
obliged to present political parties with equal opportunity
to present their views on state sponsored television and the
NPP versus the Inspector General of Police, where clarity
was given on the right to freedom of assembly.
“We as a nation owe a debt of gratitude to all the actors of
this stage of the nation’s development and for the
recognition of and respect for fundamental human rights and
freedoms that we enjoy today we take for granted, a stage
upon which Peter Ala Adjetey once again stood tall.”
On his part, Mr Sekyi Hughes said the late Speaker lived and
demonstrated fairness, objectivity and impartiality in
Parliament.
Additionally, he introduced discipline, time-management and
time-consciousness to the House. The discipline he sought in
the House he imposed on himself first.
The Most Reverend Dr Justice Offei Akrofi, Anglican
Archbishop who officiated, asked Ghanaians to be inspired by
the life of the late Ala Adjetey to demonstrate love for one
another.
Aged 76, he left behind a wife and 10 children.
GNA
TMA/REA
10 Oct. 08
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