Former Speaker Ala Adjetey dies

Accra, July 15, GNA - Former Speaker of Parliament Peter Ala Adjetey is dead.

He passed away on Tuesday morning, according to sources close to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which he led as National Chairman from 1995-98.

Mr Adjetey, a celebrated lawyer and politician, was born in Accra on August 11, 1931 and he was the second Speaker of the Fourth Republic from January 2001-January 2005, after the late Mr Justice Daniel Francis Annan.

He was last seen in public on July three where he was among more than 200 people who were decorated with national honours. Mr Adjetey obtained his basic education at St. Paul's School at La, in Accra and Accra Bishop Boys' School. He had his secondary education at Accra Academy.

He proceeded to the University College of the Gold Coast, now the University of Ghana, where he obtained the University of London intermediate Bachelor of Arts degree in 1954.

Mr Adjetey, 76, proceeded to the United Kingdom where he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from University of Nottingham in 1958. He was called to the Bar at Middle Temple in London in 1959 and returned to Ghana in the same year where he was also called to the bar. From 1959 to 1962, Mr Adjetey worked as a Law Officer with the Attorney General's Department.

He was a part-time lecturer at the Institute of Adult Education, University of Ghana, between 1960 and 1962. Mr Adjetey was also a part-time lecturer at the Ghana School of Law between 1964 and 1968.

He also served on numerous boards at various times including membership of the Judicial Council of Ghana from 1984 to 1989. He was the President of the Ghana Bar Association between 1985 and 1989. Mr Adjetey was the Member of Parliament for Kpeshie in Accra in the Third Republic (1979-1981) and also the leader of the United National Convention Parliamentary group during the same period.

In 1995, he became Chairman of the (NPP), a position he held until 1998. He was appointed the President of the African Bar Association in 2000.

Mr Adjetey was replaced as Speaker in 2005 by Mr Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi Hughes when the NPP did not put him up for a second term but the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) supported his candidacy. Mr Felix Owusu-Adjapong, Majority Leader, nominated Mr Sekyi Hughes, Member of the Council of State, as the Speaker, while Mr Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader, nominated Mr Adjetey.

Mr Sekyi Hughes polled 134 votes against 96 by Mr Adjetey.