William Ofori-Atta

Nana Ofori - Atta William ( also popularly known as Paa Willie ) (* 1910, † 1988) is one of the most famous politicians of the former British colony of the Gold Coast and the modern Ghana.

Training

Ofor Atta visited the Mfantsipim School in Ghana. Later he attended the renowned Achimota College located north of Accra. In 1956, Ofori - Atta became a lawyer.

Career

Ofori - Atta was a founding member of the United Gold Coast Convention ( UGCC ), the first party of the former colony of the Gold Coast. Therefore he is one of the so-called Big Six, which is met with today in Ghana considerable respect and recognition. As a party member Ofori - Atta was before the country's independence by the colonial masters along with Kwame Nkrumah, JB Danquah, Emmanuel Obetsebi - Lamptey and Ebenezer Ako Adjei - imprisoned. They were charged an uprising that led to the death of some protesters. However, this detention only strengthened the reputation of those leaders with the demand for the country's independence from the colonial power. The six leading set all over the country in prison politician has since been called the Big Six of Ghana. After his release Nkrumah turned away from the other Big Six, came the break through the party.

After the break with Kwame Nkrumah, who broke away with a new party of the UGCC and later became the first Prime Minister and President of Ghana was, went Ofori - Atta as well as JB Danquah, Ako Adjei Ebenezer, Edward Akufo - Addo and Emmanuel Obetsebi - Lamptey in opposition to Nkrumah. Ofori - Atta was for a far-reaching prohibition party in 1957 and 1958, founding member of the United Party, which was maintained as the only opposition party in addition to the Convention People's Party of Nkrumah some time a functioning opposition. After an assassination attempt on Nkrumah leading opposition politicians were driven from the country or imprisoned. Only after the military coup against Nkrumah 's political prisoners were set by the military junta of the National Liberation Council 's ( NLC) released.

Ofori - Atta was after the transition of the NLC 's in a democracy under the rule of Kofi Busia Abrefa 1971-1972 Ghanaian Foreign Minister and hence successor of Victor Owusu. Ofori - Atta lost his position in a renewed military coup in Ghana on 13 January 1972, Ignatius Kutu Acheampong of the performance. Ofori - Atta opposed the governance of the military junta and founded in 1979 after the repeal of the ban on the party United National Convention (UNC ), the party leader he was. As a candidate of the UNC Ofori - Atta participated in the elections to the office of President of 18 June 1979. With approximately 17.41 percent of the vote he finished third out of ten candidates, and had to admit the later runoff candidate Victor Owusu and later president Hilla Aeschlimann beaten.

After his political career Ofori - Atta was active as a Christian believer. He founded in 1967, for example, the Accra Chapel Trust, an independent evangelical church at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

Family

Ofori - Atta is the son of Nana Sir Ofori Atta I, the king ( Omanhene ) of Akyem Abuakwa 1912-1943. Ghanaian king as the father of Ofori - Atta was married with a variety of women and is about 98 offspring, so siblings and half-siblings have left of William Ofori Atta. A sister (or half-sister ) named Nana Ofori - Atta Yeboakua married Edward Akufo - Addo, who later became President of Ghana. William Ofori - Atta is thus the uncle of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo - Addo.

Ofori - Atta was given a state funeral.

Others

In memory of William Ofori Atta, the William Ofori - Atta lectures ( William Ofori - Atta Lectures ) to be held since his death.

In 2007, a new 10,000 Cedi banknote from the Bank of Ghana with the image of the Big Six has been issued, among them is Ofori - Atta displayed.