William Ofori Atta

Infobox Politician
name = William Ofori Atta


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office = Minister for Foreign Affairs
term_start = 1971
term_end = January 12, 1972
predecessor = Victor Owusu
successor = Maj. Gen. Nathan A. Aferi
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birth_date = 1910
birth_place = flagicon|GHA Ghana
death_date = 1988
death_place = Ghana
party = Progress Party
(1969-1972)
United National Convention
(1979-1981)
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occupation = Lawyer
religion = Christian


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Nana William Ofori Atta (1910 - 1988) (popularly called "Paa Willie") was a founding member of the United Gold Coast Convention and was one of "The Big Six" detained by the British colonial government in Ghana (then Gold Coast). He later became a Minister for Foreign Affairs in the second republic between 1971 and 1972.

Early life

Nana William Ofori Atta was the son of Nana Sir Ofori Atta I who was the Omanhene ("King") of Akyem Abuakwa between 1912 and 1943. [cite web |url=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~royalty/akyem/i4.html |title=Nana William OFORI-ATTA |accessdate=2007-04-04 |date=29 July 2003 |author=Henry Soszynski |work=Genealogy of the Okyenhenes of Ghana |publisher=Henry Soszynski] He was thus of royal lineage. William Ofori Atta attended the Mfantsipim School, one of the most prestigious schools in Ghana.cite web |url=http://www.moba76.com/cn_m76_more.cfm?tblNewsCatID=57&tblNewsID=140 |title=What does Mfantsipim Mean? |accessdate=2007-04-04 |work=The School |publisher=Mfantsipim Old Boys Association (MOBA) 1976 year group] He was later among the first batch of students at the Achimota School [cite web |url=http://groups.msn.com/OAA1973/whatdoyouknow.msnw |title=ACHIMOTA TRIVIA - DID YOU KNOW- PART I? |accessdate=2007-04-04 |work=Achimota School Alumni Website |publisher=OAA 1973 Akoras |quote=Did you know that prominent Ghanaian citizens who attended Achimota School include Mr. William Ofori Atta, a member of the Big Six that led the fight for Ghana's independence] who pioneered the intermediate degree programs. He was also the first ever school prefect of the School. His batch of students went on to form the nucleus of the University of Ghana. He became a lawyer in 1956.cite web |url=http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/rarticles/role_of_lawyers_in_consolidating.htm |title=The role of lawyers in consolidating democracy in Africa |accessdate=2007-04-04 |last=Akufo-Addo |first=Nana |authorlink=Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo |date=April 2003 |work=Paper delivered at the 8th Biennial conference of the African Bar Association (ABA) in Abuja |publisher=Niger Delta Congress]

Politics

William Ofori Atta was a founding member of the United Gold Coast Convention. He later became the leader of the United Party in opposition to Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. He was detained by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah during the first republic under the Preventive Detention Act. [cite web|url=http://ghanaweb.net/GhanaHomePage/features/artikel.php?ID=76365&comment=0 |title=The Preventive Detention Act of 1958, Was It A Shield or A Sword? |accessdate=2007-04-04 |author=unknown |date=26 February 2005 |work=Feature Article |publisher=Ghana Home Page |quote=Yet within 1958, the pernicious Preventive Detention Act was enacted. The law empowered the government to detain anybody for not more than five years without trial. It was subsequently amended in 1959 and 1962. The 1962 amendment extended the detention period indefinitely.....By 1961 prominent leaders and stalwarts of the opposition party were either in detention or had fled the country. Victor Owusu, Joe Appiah, William Ofori Atta were in the detention] [cite web |url=http://home.comcast.net/~amaah/writings/ghana-truly-free-happy.html |title=Ghana Will Be Truly Free And Happy
accessdate=2007-04-04 |last=Busia |first=Kofi Abrefa |authorlink=Kofi Abrefa Busia |date=December 21, 1964 |work=The Busia papers |publisher=Koranteng Ofosu-Amaah] During the second republic, he was Minister for Education [cite web |url=http://ghanasco.com/page.php?11 |title=GHANA SECONDARY SCHOOL,TAMALE |accessdate=2007-04-04 |work=Alumni Website |publisher=Ghana Secondary School Alumni |quote=On 28th June 1970 a rocket manufactured by an Indian maths teacher, Mr Lalaji and his science students, was launched in honour of the then Minister of Education Mr William Ofori -Atta.] and then Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Progress Party government of Dr. Busia.He was an active member of the People's Movement for Freedom and Justice (PMFJ) which campaigned against the 'Union Government' concept by General I.K. Acheampong, then Head of state of Ghana and Chairman of the Supreme Military Council (SMC). This was an attempt by the military regime to extend military rule instead of handing back power to civilians. [cite web |url=http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/artikel.php?ID=105282 |title=Special tribute to Adu Boahen |accessdate=2007-04-04 |last=Boateng |first=Kwame Appiah |date=3 June 2006 |work=Feature Article |publisher=Ghana Home Page ] After the fall of the SMC, he stood for president in the 1979 Ghanaian presidential election on the ticket of the United National Convention coming third with 17.41% of the popular vote. [cite web |url=http://africanelections.tripod.com/gh.html#1979_Presidential_Election |title=Elections in Ghana |accessdate=2007-04-04 |date=30 May 2006 |work=African Elections Database |publisher=Albert C. Nunley]

Later life

William Ofori Atta became a devout Christian and played various roles in Christian circles. [cite web |url=http://goldcoastbereans.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_archive.html |title= Christian Cable TV, etc |accessdate=2007-04-04 |date=April 01, 2006 |publisher=Gold Coast Bereans |quote=Mr William Ofori Atta in Ghana ( the late "Paa Willie") continued to teach and preach sound doctrine into his old age.] He was one of the founders of the Accra Chapel Trust, an independent evangelical church at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra in 1967. [cite web |url=http://www.accrachapeltrust.org/ourhistory.html |title=About Us - Our history |accessdate=2007-04-04 |work=Official Website |publisher=Accra Chapel Trust] Ofori Atta delivered the J.B. Danquah Memorial Lectures organised by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1985. His topic was - "Ghana, A Nation in Crisis". [cite web |url=http://www.gaas-gh.org/pages/publications_danquah.htm |title=Publications - J.B. Danquah Memorial Lectures |accessdate=2007-04-04 |work=Official Website |publisher=Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences] He died in 1988 and was given a state burial.

William Ofori-Atta Memorial Lectures

The William Ofori-Atta Memorial Lectures were instituted in memory of Paa Willie after his death.

Notes

ee also

*The Big Six
*Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ghana)
*United Gold Coast Convention

Publications

*cite book |last=Jenkins |first=Ray |coauthors=Ofori Atta, William Azikiwe, Nnamdi & Danquah, J.B.|editor= |others= |title=History in Africa |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |date= |year=1994 |month= |publisher= |location= |isbn= |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages= |chapter=The Grilling of W.E.F. Ward of Achimota in 1935 |chapterurl= |quote=

Persondata
NAME=Ofori Atta, William
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Ofori Atta, Nana William
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Politician, lawyer and former foreign minister of Ghana
DATE OF BIRTH=1910
PLACE OF BIRTH=Ghana
DATE OF DEATH=1988
PLACE OF DEATH=Ghana