It was a moment of sober reflection, nostalgia and solemnity as family, friends and comrades gathered to remember Lawyer Akoto Ampaw, popularly known as Sheey Sheey, who died at age 73.
The National Theatre, Accra, on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 hosted the guests who took part in the evening of reminiscences, testimonies, tributes and performances. The event was organised by the Star-Ghana Foundation, CDD, MFWA and others.
Every guest that made it to the event had a thing or two to say about Sheey Sheey, whom some testified, did not play with his fufu and abunuabunu soup.
Unfortunately, the three hours set for the event were not enough to accommodate the several people who had attended the programme, so they could share what they know about the legal luminary.
However, the few, including Chief Justice Gerturude Torkorno, Alex Quaynor from the Akufo-Addo, Prempeh & Co. Chambers, Professor Akilagpa Sawyerr and Kwesi Pratt made a huge representation at the gathering.
The ever-green Winneba Youth Choir set the tone with soothing choral songs to welcome guests, and Rev. Fr. Michael A. Numekevor Jnr, St. Arnold Jansen Chaplaincy, Catholic Chaplaincy of Koforidua Technical University, said a Christian prayer.
Ambassador Lt. Cl. Umar Sanda Ahmed (Rtd), former Chief Imam of the Ghana Armed Forces also recited the Muslim prayer, asking Allah to be pleased with our brother.
An invocation by Prof. Kofi Anyidoho, with the National Dance Company, set the stage for Prof. Kwame Karikari, founder of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and Alhaji Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu, Executive Director of the Star Ghana Foundation, to give welcome addresses.
WELCOME
Prof. Kwame Karikari, having welcomed the guests, said Sheey Sheey spent over half a century of his life dedicated to social justice, human rights and democratic rule, among others.
He said that: “Even as peers, colleagues and comrades in the courses Akoto Ampaw pursued, it was an inspiration to witness the remarkable values of fairness, modesty, simplicity, decency, transparency and selflessness that he always lived by.”
According to Alhaji Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu, Akoto Ampaw played a key role in the transition of Star Ghana to where it is today, as he insisted on the right things being done.
He told the gathering that they had congregated to celebrate the man who lived his life caring for others.
MEMORY
Sharing a memory on behalf of the family, his niece, Princess Fathia, remembered that despite his busy schedule in public life, Uncle Sheey, as she called him, made time for the family.
“He never hesitated to offer us advice, give a helping hand or give us some much-needed lectures when we went around. In the [midst] of his workaholic life, Uncle Sheey still found time to be present for each one of us. Whether it was birthdays, naming ceremonies, graduations or award presentations, he never missed the opportunity to celebrate with us,” she said, almost in tears.
Former General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association, Worlanyo Agra, mentioned in a video that Sheey Sheey was a household name on the University of Ghana campus, because of his football skills.
He said Akoto Ampaw got his nickname Sheey Sheey on the university campus in the 1970s and 1980s, as they thought Akoto Ampaw sounded more like a legal name.
The Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkorno, remembered Sheey Sheey for his “well-researched” processes, articulation and relevance.
She said Sheey Sheey impacted social thinking, adding that all had been affected by his demise and shared in the sorrow of the family.
The founder of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt, recalling Sheey Sheey’s political activism, said it was impossible to say goodbye to Sheey Sheey because of the many human seeds he planted, which have germinated and are bearing fruit.
“A man like that does not die,” he added.
He recalled the times they both spent in prison, sharing Tamale and Wa prisons’ experiences with Sheey Sheey.
He said Sheey Sheey invited him to join the Alliance for Change, saying that he was the engine of the group.
OTHERS
Memories and testimonies were also shared by Prof. Sowah Mensah, known as Agboo-Ayee, and Senator Commany Wesseh from Liberia, the Trades Union Congress, the MWFA, the RTI Coalition and the former President of The Gambia Press Union.
GUESTS
A member of the Council of State, Samuel Awuku Okudzeto, the Executive Director of the Institute of Democratic Governance, Dr. Emmanuel Akwatey and former Attorney General Gloria Akuffo were present.
Also, former Commissioner of CHRAJ, Emile Francis Short, Audrey Gadzekpo, Dr. Kojo Pumpuni Asante of the Centre for Democratic Development and a host of others attended the event.
Meanwhile, the lead counsel for President Akufo-Addo, in the 2020 presidential election petition, Akoto Ampaw, will be laid in state today, Friday, December 15, 2023, at the forecourt of the State House, Osu, Accra.
There will be a private burial and final funeral rites tomorrow, Saturday, December 16, 2023 at Lolobi Ashiambi, Oti Region and a Thanksgiving mass celebration on Sunday, December 17, at St. Augustine Catholic Church, Hohoe, Volta Region.
Finally, there will be another Thanksgiving mass on Friday, December 22, 2023 at Christ The King Parish, Liberation Road, Accra, opposite Jubilee House.
