Erasmus Ransford Tawiah Madjitey

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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.[1]

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[edit] Early life

E.R.T. Madjitey was born on November 11, 1920 at Aframase, in the Manya Krobo District 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.[2] 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'.[3] He married Vera Scales in 1949.[4]

[edit] 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.[3] He rose to become Deputy Commissioner of Police in March 1958. On October 9, 1958, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, 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.

[edit] Politics

The CPP's overthrow on February 24, 1966, led to his release from detention by the National Liberation Council.[5] 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.[5] 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.[5][6] He also served on the Council of State between 1970 and 1972.[5]

In 1977 when General Acheampong decided to overturn the democratic process with the concept off a union government dubbed UNIGOV, ERT Madjitey together with William Ofori-Atta, Harry Sawyer, Victor Owusu, Professor Adu Boahene, General Afrifa, GK Agama, Sam Okudjeto, Obed Asamoah and others constituted a small anti-UNIGOV group called the Peoples Movement for Freedom and Justice 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 Third Republican Constitution of Ghana.[6] He was also a member of the 1979 Constituent Assembly to defend and ratify the Draft Constitution.[5][6] When the SMC under Gen. Akuffo lifted the ban on political activities. Madjitey helped found the Popular Front Party[5] 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[5], which was again the main opposition party in the first two parliaments of the Fourth Republic but won power in December 2000.

[edit] Honours

  • First Ghanaian head of the Ghana Police
  • Commander of the British Empire (CBE) (1960)[6]
  • 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[7]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Brief Facts about the Ghana Police Service - History of the Service. Official website. Ghana Police Service. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
  2. ^ A Pillar is Born.... In Memoriam... E.R.T. Madjitey CBE. Madjitey Estate 2006 (2006). Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
  3. ^ a b The Early Years.... In Memoriam... E.R.T. Madjitey CBE. Madjitey Estate 2006 (2006). Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
  4. ^ Acting Superintendent of Police Madjitey weds Miss Vera Scales in 1949. In Memoriam... E.R.T. Madjitey CBE. Madjitey Estate 2006 (2006). Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g A Statesman is Born.... In Memoriam... E.R.T. Madjitey CBE. Madjitey Estate 2006 (2006). Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
  6. ^ a b c d Madjitey, Rexford. Erasmus Ransford Tawiah (ERT) Madjitey. Africa Centre's Contemporary Africa Database Project. Africa Centre, London. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
  7. ^ The Pride of a People.... In Memoriam... E.R.T. Madjitey CBE. Madjitey Estate 2006 (2006). Retrieved on 2007-04-11.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Police appointments
Preceded by
Arthur Lewin Alexander		 Inspector General of Police
1958 – 1964		 Succeeded by
John Willie Kofi Harlley
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
?		 High Commissioner to Pakistan
1966 – 1969		 Succeeded by
?
Parliament of Ghana
Preceded by
?		 Member of Parliament for Manya Krobo
1969 – 1972		 Succeeded by
Military coup
Political offices
Preceded by
Dr. G.K. Agama		 Leader of the Opposition
1970 – 1972		 Succeeded by
Military coup
Persondata
NAME Madjitey, Erasmus Ransford Tawiah
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION First Ghanaian Inspector General of Police of the Ghana Police Service
DATE OF BIRTH November 11, 1920
PLACE OF BIRTH Aframase, Ghana
DATE OF DEATH February 23, 1996
PLACE OF DEATH Ghana
Languages