Erasmus Ransford Tawiah Madjitey
Encyclopedia
Erasmus Ransford Tawiah Madjitey (11 November 1920 – 23 February 1996) was a Ghanaian police officer, diplomat and politician. E.R.T. Madjitey (as he was generally known), was appointed Police Commissioner in the Gold Coast
(now Ghana
) on October 9th, 1958, making him not only the first Ghanaian to head the Ghana Police Service, but also the first African South of the Sahara and the British Commonwealth to command a Police Force.
of the Eastern Region
of Ghana. His father was a local chief, Asafoatse Madjitey I and his mother was one of his three wives, Madam Ogbeko Madjitey. He was the fifth of seven children. E.R.T. Madjitey started his education at Obenyemi, where he lived with his uncle Mr. J. A. Okumador. He had his basic education at Presbyterian Junior School at Odumase-Krobo, and Presbyterian Senior Boys Secondary School at Bana Hill. He started his secondary education at Mfantsipim School
and completed at Adisadel College
in 1940. He then continued to Achimota College, the predecessor of the University of Ghana
, where he excelled in the 'Inter BA'. He married Vera Scales in 1949.
, the Prime Minister of Ghana
appointed him the Commissioner of Police
, replacing Arthur Lewin Alexander, the last British
citizen to occupy that position. In January, 1964, due to an assassination attempt by a Police constable Seth Ametewe on Kwame Nkrumah, ERT Madjitey and the top six officers in the Police administration were removed from office. Madjitey was later detained, for reasons not established to date, under the Preventive Detention Act by the CPP government. He was then replaced by John Willie Kofi Harlley
.
. He was appointed Ghana's High Commissioner
to Pakistan
later that year. He left the diplomatic service in 1969 and returned to Ghana and entered politics.
He was a victorious candidate of Dr. Komla Gbedemah's National Alliance of Liberals
for the 1969 elections, making him the Member of Parliament for the Manya Krobo constituency from 1969 till parliament was suspended and political parties banned in 1972 after the army under a Colonel Acheampong overthrew the government of Ghana's second republic. As Dr. Gbedemah had been banned from holding public office by the NLC, the various opposition parties came together as the Justice Party
, and Mr. Madjitey became its leader, making him Leader of the Opposition
from 1970 to 1972. He also served on the Council of State
between 1970 and 1972.
In 1977 when Acheampong then a General and Head of State decided to overturn the democratic process with the concept off a Union government dubbed UNIGOV, ERT Madjitey together with William Ofori-Atta, Harry Sawyerr
, Victor Owusu
, Albert Adu Boahen
, General Afrifa
, G. K. Agama, Sam Okudjeto, Obed Asamoah
and others constituted a small anti-UNIGOV group called the Peoples Movement for Freedom and Justice (PMFJ) to resist this move after a referendum widely believed to have been rigged. Madjitey and some members of the PMFJ were arrested and put in preventative detention. Acheampong however, became so unpopular by 1978 that he was ousted by his military colleagues on the Supreme Military Council in a palace coup and replaced by General Akuffo
(July 1978). General Akuffo subsequently decided to return the nation to constitutional rule and therefore set up a Constitutional Drafting Commission and released the political prisoners.
Between 1977 and 1978, ERT Madjitey served as a member of the Constitutional Drafting Commission which drew up the Constitution for Ghana's Third Republic. He was also a member of the 1979 Constituent Assembly consequently setup to defend and ratify the Draft Constitution. When the SMC under Gen. Akuffo lifted the ban on political activities. Madjitey helped found the Popular Front Party
led by Victor Owusu in 1979 which became the main opposition party in the Third Republic. He was also a founding member of the New Patriotic Party
, which was again the main opposition party in the first two parliaments of the Fourth Republic but won power in December 2000.
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
(now Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
) on October 9th, 1958, making him not only the first Ghanaian to head the Ghana Police Service, but also the first African South of the Sahara and the British Commonwealth to command a Police Force.
Early life
E.R.T. Madjitey was born on 11 November 1920 at Aframase, in the Manya Krobo DistrictManya Krobo District
The Manya Krobo District is a district of Ghana in the Eastern Region.-Sources:*...
of the Eastern Region
Eastern Region (Ghana)
The Eastern Region is one of Ghana's ten administrative regions. It covers an area of 19,323 square kilometres, which is about 8.1% of Ghana's total land area. The region is divided into administrative districts. The total number of districts were increased from 17 districts to 21...
of Ghana. His father was a local chief, Asafoatse Madjitey I and his mother was one of his three wives, Madam Ogbeko Madjitey. He was the fifth of seven children. E.R.T. Madjitey started his education at Obenyemi, where he lived with his uncle Mr. J. A. Okumador. He had his basic education at Presbyterian Junior School at Odumase-Krobo, and Presbyterian Senior Boys Secondary School at Bana Hill. He started his secondary education at Mfantsipim School
Mfantsipim School
Mfantsipim SchoolMotto:Dwen Hwe Kan .Established: 3rd April 1876.Public School . Affiliated with Wesleyanism/Methodist Church.Head of school: Kwame Mieza Edjah.Staff:85....
and completed at Adisadel College
Adisadel College
Adisadel College is an Anglican school for boys in Cape Coast, Ghana, modelled on the English public school.-History:Adisadel was established in 1910 in a building at Topp Yard, near Christ Church and Cape Coast Castle...
in 1940. He then continued to Achimota College, the predecessor of the University of Ghana
University of Ghana
The University of Ghana is the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian universities and tertiary institutions. It is one of the best universities in Africa and by far the most prestigious in West Africa...
, where he excelled in the 'Inter BA'. He married Vera Scales in 1949.
Police career
E.R.T. Madjitey taught Mathematics and Latin at Accra Academy briefly before joining the Gold Coast Police Force in 1948 as one of its first Ghanaian college graduates. He rose to become Deputy Commissioner of Police in March 1958. On 9 October 1958, Dr. Kwame NkrumahKwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
, the Prime Minister of Ghana
Prime Minister of Ghana
The Prime Minister of Ghana was the head of government of Ghana from 1957 to 1960 and again from 1969 to 1972.-History of the office:The country's first leader and Prime Minister was Kwame Nkrumah of the Convention People's Party...
appointed him the Commissioner of Police
Inspector General of Police of the Ghana Police Service
The Inspector General of Police is the most senior Police Officer in Ghana. The IGP is appointed by the President of Ghana acting in consultation with the Council of State. The IGP is the head of the Police service and is responsible for the operational control and the administration of the Police...
, replacing Arthur Lewin Alexander, the last British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
citizen to occupy that position. In January, 1964, due to an assassination attempt by a Police constable Seth Ametewe on Kwame Nkrumah, ERT Madjitey and the top six officers in the Police administration were removed from office. Madjitey was later detained, for reasons not established to date, under the Preventive Detention Act by the CPP government. He was then replaced by John Willie Kofi Harlley
John Willie Kofi Harlley
John Willie Kofi Harlley was a former foreign minister of Ghana. He was a member of the Presidential Commission that ruled Ghana during the military era of the National Liberation Council and the first year of the Second Republic...
.
Politics
The CPP's overthrow on 24 February 1966, led to his release from detention by the National Liberation CouncilNational Liberation Council
The National Liberation Council was the name of the Ghanaian government after the elected government of the Convention Peoples' Party led by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was overthrown on February 24, 1966. This government was in place till they handed over to a democratically elected government on October...
. He was appointed Ghana's High Commissioner
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
later that year. He left the diplomatic service in 1969 and returned to Ghana and entered politics.
He was a victorious candidate of Dr. Komla Gbedemah's National Alliance of Liberals
National Alliance of Liberals
The National Alliance of Liberals was a political party in Ghana during the Second Republic . In elections held on 29 August 1969, the NAL won 29 out of 140 seats in the National Assembly....
for the 1969 elections, making him the Member of Parliament for the Manya Krobo constituency from 1969 till parliament was suspended and political parties banned in 1972 after the army under a Colonel Acheampong overthrew the government of Ghana's second republic. As Dr. Gbedemah had been banned from holding public office by the NLC, the various opposition parties came together as the Justice Party
Justice Party (Ghana)
The Justice Party was a political party in Ghana formed to oppose the government of Kofi Busia during the Second Republic ....
, and Mr. Madjitey became its leader, making him Leader of the Opposition
Opposition (parliamentary)
Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. Note that this article uses the term government as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning the administration or the cabinet rather than the state...
from 1970 to 1972. He also served on the Council of State
Council of State
The Council of State is a unique governmental body in a country or subdivision thereoff, though its nature may range from the formal name for the cabinet to a non-executive advisory body surrounding a head of state. It is sometimes regarded as the equivalent of a privy council.-Modern:*Belgian...
between 1970 and 1972.
In 1977 when Acheampong then a General and Head of State decided to overturn the democratic process with the concept off a Union government dubbed UNIGOV, ERT Madjitey together with William Ofori-Atta, Harry Sawyerr
Harry Sawyerr
Harry Sawyerr is a former Ghanaian politician and quantity surveyor.Harry Sawyerr was the first person to be president of the Ghana Institution of Surveyors. He served two terms spanning 1969 to 1971....
, Victor Owusu
Victor Owusu
For the rapper with the same birth name, see V.I.C..Victor Owusu is a former Ghanaian politician and lawyer. He has also served as Attorney General and Justice minister as well as foreign minister on two separate occasions....
, Albert Adu Boahen
Albert Adu Boahen
Albert Kwadwo Adu Boahen was a Ghanaian academic, historian, and politician. He was an academic at the University of Ghana from 1959 to 1990, since 1971 as a professor...
, General Afrifa
Akwasi Afrifa
Brigadier Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa was a Ghanaian soldier, farmer, a traditional ruler and politician.He was the head of state of Ghana and leader of the military government in 1969 and then Chairman of the Presidential Commission between 1969 and 1970. He continued as a farmer and political activist...
, G. K. Agama, Sam Okudjeto, Obed Asamoah
Obed Asamoah
Dr. Obed Yao Asamoah is a politician from Ghana. Asamoah is the longest serving foreign minister and Attorney General of Ghana under Jerry Rawlings from 1981 to 1997. Asamoah was educated at King's College London and at Columbia University. He was a lecturer in Law at the University of Ghana...
and others constituted a small anti-UNIGOV group called the Peoples Movement for Freedom and Justice (PMFJ) to resist this move after a referendum widely believed to have been rigged. Madjitey and some members of the PMFJ were arrested and put in preventative detention. Acheampong however, became so unpopular by 1978 that he was ousted by his military colleagues on the Supreme Military Council in a palace coup and replaced by General Akuffo
Fred Akuffo
Lieutenant General Frederick William Kwasi Akuffo was a soldier and politician. He is a former Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces and the Head of state and chairman of the ruling Supreme Military Council in Ghana from 1978 to 1979...
(July 1978). General Akuffo subsequently decided to return the nation to constitutional rule and therefore set up a Constitutional Drafting Commission and released the political prisoners.
Between 1977 and 1978, ERT Madjitey served as a member of the Constitutional Drafting Commission which drew up the Constitution for Ghana's Third Republic. He was also a member of the 1979 Constituent Assembly consequently setup to defend and ratify the Draft Constitution. When the SMC under Gen. Akuffo lifted the ban on political activities. Madjitey helped found the Popular Front Party
Popular Front Party
The Popular Front Party was the main opposition political party in Ghana during the Third Republic .In elections held on 18 June 1979, PFP presidential candidate Victor Owusu won 29.9% of the vote and the party won 42 of 140 seats in the National Assembly...
led by Victor Owusu in 1979 which became the main opposition party in the Third Republic. He was also a founding member of the New Patriotic Party
New Patriotic Party
-External links:*...
, which was again the main opposition party in the first two parliaments of the Fourth Republic but won power in December 2000.
Honours
- First Ghanaian head of the Ghana Police
- Commander of the British Empire (CBE) (1960)
- Congo Service Medal
- Republic Commemorative Medal
- African Police Meritorious Service Medal
- Colonial Police Long Service
- Good Conduct Medal
- Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 1953
- Republic Day Medal
- "Adeyekote" (There is a warrior in the house)- title conferred on him by Oklemekuku Azu Mate-Kole, the late paramount chief of Manya Krobo