In response to the passing of the prominent human rights lawyer, Akoto Ampaw, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, a prominent member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), expressed his expectation that the late lawyer would have spoken out about the challenges facing the nation during his lifetime.
Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe, recognizing Lawyer Akoto Ampaw as a genuine human rights advocate, conveyed his surprise at the lawyer’s lack of commentary on Ghana’s current situation before his demise.
“What really amazes me about Akoto Ampaw in his later years is why he stood so quietly and did not complain or talk about what this country is going through at the moment. I expected Akoto Ampaw to talk strongly against it but he didn’t, even though we were all colleagues, himself, Kwasi Pratt and Akufo-Addo himself. The Akoto Ampaw as I knew him should have come out boldly to condemn some of the atrocities and challenges that this country is facing at the moment but for reasons best known to him he was quiet and I was really surprised,” he said.
Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe went on to say that he was taken aback by Lawyer Ampaw’s passing.
After spending more than forty years in political activities with Akoto Ampaw, Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe recalled how the two of them participated in the 1995 “Kume Preko” demonstration, which was organized to oppose the Rawlings administration’s implementation of the Value Added Tax (VAT) policy.
“His death came to me as a shock. Honestly, I have not heard that Akoto had not been well or anything.
“I have known him for close to forty years, and we have been in a lot of political activities and events together. He was a great activist and a true human rights lawyer but quite recently when a young man who organised some of his protests was being harassed he came out boldly,” he added.
Akoto Ampaw, a seasoned Ghanaian attorney and dedicated human rights advocate, peacefully passed away on Friday, October 20, following a short illness.
He gained extensive recognition for his involvement with the legal team of the New Patriotic Party during the 2013 Electoral Petition and for his leadership in the legal defense of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s triumph in the 2020 Presidential elections, as presented before the Supreme Court.
Born on June 14, 1971, Akoto Ampaw was a family man with a spouse and children.