|
|
AKUFO-ADDO PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE LATE JAKE
OBETSEBI-LAMPTEY
I am deeply saddened and
distraught by the news of the death of my
lifelong friend, Jake Otanka Obetsebi Lamptey,
which sad event occurred in the early hours of
today, Palm Sunday, March 20, in London, in the
United Kingdom.
The death of a friend of
long standing brings up so many emotions –
grief, sense of loss, reflections on friendship,
the stark reality of mortality, and the presence
of the Living God. Indeed, Jake and I grew up
together and forged a close friendship in our
childhood, very similar to that our fathers
shared, which led to the significant roles they
both played in the formation of the United Gold
Coast Convention (UGCC), the movement that
initiated the struggle for Ghana’s freedom and
independence. They were both members of the
legendary Big Six of Ghanaian history. The UGCC
is the mother party of the New Patriotic Party
(NPP). The ties between us were considerable.
As a founding member of the NPP, Otanka,
Jake to others, first served as Chairman of the
Publicity Committee of the Party in 1992, and
subsequently rose to the position of Greater
Accra Regional Chairman. Candidate J.A Kufuor
appointed him as his Campaign Manager in the
successful election campaign of 2000. Again, in
2004, he was appointed Campaign Manager by
President John Agyekum Kufuor in the campaign
that led to the NPP retaining power that year.
He served as President Kufuor’s first Minister
for Presidential Affairs and Chief of Staff, and
then subsequently as his Minister for Tourism
and Modernization of the Capital, and also as
his Minister for Information. Colleagues in the
NPP government will readily attest to the
dedication and selflessness with which he served
Mother Ghana. His love for the party and desire
to see the NPP regain power resulted in his
election in 2010 as National Chairman of the
NPP, but lost his bid for re-election in 2014.
Undoubtedly, he made an immense
contribution to the NPP and to Mother Ghana. A
proud Ga, he was an honest, patriotic and
distinguished son of Ghana, whose loyalty to
Ghana was unalloyed, and who never wavered in
his adherence to the values and principles of
the Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition, which was,
for him, the noblest tradition in Ghanaian
politics. He was, nevertheless, to his credit, a
tolerant and responsible person who made many
friendships across the political divide of our
country.
A gregarious and fun-loving man,
with an exceptional sense of humour, I will miss
him immensely. I am confident all true devotees
of the NPP and well-meaning Ghanaians will miss
him too.
A man with strong family
values, I extend my deepest condolences and
sympathies to his dear wife, Esther, and their
children.
May the soul of Jake Otanka
Obetsebi Lamptey rest in perfect peace in the
bosom of the Almighty until the last Day of the
Resurrection when we meet again.
……signed……
Nana Akufo-Addo
2016 NPP
Presidential Candidate
|
