Ebenezer Ako-Adjei

Hon.
Ebenezer Ako-Adjei
3rd & 5th Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ghana)
In office
1961–1962
President Kwame Nkrumah
Preceded by Imoru Egala
Succeeded by Kwame Nkrumah
In office
1959–1960
President Kwame Nkrumah
Preceded by Kojo Botsio
Succeeded by Imoru Egala
Minister for Justice
President Kwame Nkrumah
1st Minister of the Interior
In office
March 1957 – November 1957
Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah
Preceded by Archie Casely-Hayford
(Before independence)
Succeeded by Krobo Edusei
Personal details
Born 17 June 1916
Adjeikrom, Akyem-Abuakwa, Ghana
Died 14 January 2002(2002-01-14) (aged 85)
Accra, Ghana
Nationality Ghanaian
Political party Convention People's Party
Other political
affiliations		 United Gold Coast Convention
Spouse(s) Mrs Theodosia Ako Adjei
Relations Kwaku Adjei, Australian TV personality and entrepreneur
Residence Accra, Ghana
Alma mater Hampton Institute, Lincoln University, Columbia University, London School of Economics and Political Science.
Occupation politician
One of "The Big Six" in Ghana's independence struggle

Dr. Ebenezer Ako-Adjei (17 June 1916 – 14 January 2002) was a nationalist politician from Ghana and one of the founding fathers of Ghana alongside J. B. Danquah, Edward Akufo-Addo and others. Ako-Adjei is considered to be one of the "Big Six", who were arguably some of the most famous people in Ghana's fight for independence from British rule. He was also a founding member of the United Gold Coast Convention, the political party that initially spearheaded the surge for independence.

He was born on 17 June 1916 in Adjeikrom, in the Eastern Region of Ghana (then the Gold Coast), to Samuel Adjei who was a farmer and trader, and Mrs. Johanna Okaile Adjei. His early education began in the Eastern Region until he was taken to Accra (the current capital of Ghana), where he continued his education at the Presbyterian Middle and Junior Schools, the La Presbyterian Boys’ Boarding School and Accra Academy.

In December,1936 he was one of the candidates presented by the Accra Academy for the Cambridge Senior School leaving Certificate Examination.Among the candidates who passed the examination, only two obtained exemption from the London Matriculation Examination Board. One of these students was Ako-Adjei.

Career

From June 1937 to December 1938 he was a Second Division Clerk in the Gold Coast Civil Service. He was assigned to assist Harold Cooper, a European Assistant Colonial Secretary, and J. E. S. de Graft-Hayford to organise and establish the Gold Coast Broadcasting Service. These were the beginnings of what is now the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.

In December 1938 he resigned from the Gold Coast Civil Service to travel to the USA to attend Lincoln University, Pennsylvania. At Lincoln University he was housed at Houston Hall. He registered for courses in Political Science, Economics, Sociology, English, Latin and Philosophy.

Together with a group of students they often had long heated discussions (known as Bull Sessions) about the emancipation of African countries from colonial domination. Among the African students who regularly took part in these discussions were Ako Adjei, Kwame Nkrumah, K. A. B. Jones-Quartey, Ozuomba Mbadiwe, Nwafor Orizu and Okechukwu Ikejiani.

He was instrumental in introducing Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to the political scene in Ghana[1] and Nkrumah later became the first president of Ghana. However, in 1962 President Nkrumah had him imprisoned.[1]

Later life and death

On the eve of his release from the Nsawam Prison in 1966, Ako-Adjei completely forswore politics. He spent the remainder of his long life in relative obscurity.[1] Ako-Adjei died in Accra on 14 January 2002.[2]

Honours

  • 1962 - Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from Lincoln University, USA[3]
  • 7 March 1997 - Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana - the highest national honour of the Republic of Ghana[1]

Legacy

The Ako Adjei Interchange in Accra, which used to be Sankara Interchange, was renamed after him. There is also an Ako-Adjei Park in Osu, Accra.

Quotes

"Ghana is our country. We have nowhere to go. This is where God has placed us and the earlier we realized this the better for all of us."[1]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Ellison, Kofi (22 February 2002). "Dr. Ebenezer Ako Adjei - An Appreciation". Ghana Web. Ghana Home Page. Retrieved 14 April 2007.
  2. ↑ Ghana News Agency (18 January 2002). "Dr Ako-Adjei would be given state burial - JAK". ModernGhana. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  3. ↑ "Ako-Adjei, Ebenezer". Biographies. S9.com. Retrieved 14 April 2007.
  • Biography
Political offices
Preceded by
Archie Casely-Hayford		 Minister of the Interior
1957		 Succeeded by
Krobo Edusei
Preceded by
Kojo Botsio		 Foreign Minister
1959–60		 Succeeded by
Imoru Egala
Preceded by
?		 Minister for Justice
? – ?		 Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Imoru Egala		 Foreign Minister
1961–62		 Succeeded by
Kwame Nkrumah
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