Shortly after our mutual friend Dr. Kwame Appiah-Poku introduced us, which I now believe was plainly preordained, Aba and I finally met in person on July 1, 1961, at a ball held at Battersea Town Hall in London to commemorate Ghana's first anniversary as a republic.

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Aba had recently graduated from Edinburgh's nursing school and was headed to Oxford University's Radcliffe Infirmary to study midwifery. I had recently passed my bar examinations at Lincoln's Inn in London, and I was off to Exeter College in Oxford.


My lovely Aba struck me as a gentle and well-mannered woman at first, and after a year of getting to know one another and courting, we both realised how much we appreciated each other's presence. We shared similar social inclinations and had similar cultural choices in music, art, and movies. We so made the decision to get married, which we did on September 8, 1962, at Brompton Oratory in Knightsbridge, London.

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On September 6, 1963, Chief, our first boy, came to live with us. By the middle of 1964, soon after


After graduating from Oxford University and starting our individual careers, we relocated to London. Nana Ama, our first daughter and second child, was born in London's Golders Green on November 29, 1964.

However, we made the decision to go back to Ghana because of the intense pressure we received from my relatives in Kumasi.


I became a junior attorney in Okomfo Anokye Chambers in January 1965, shortly after our return to Kumasi, under the senior partnership of Victor Owusu. Later, Aba became a nurse and midwife in the hospital affiliated with Kwame Nkrumah University. Not too long later, on November 4, 1965, Aba and I welcomed Saah, our third child, into our quickly expanding family.


Agyekum, our fourth child, was born on February 16, 1968. I had already become entangled in the web of public service by the time he came. In 1967, I was selected as the city manager and top legal officer of Kumasi, Ghana's second city. That marked our introduction to Ghanaian civic and public life.


Aba had a self-assured demeanour that made her blend in wherever we went and enabled her to handle even the most difficult situations.


I was elected to the Second Republic's Parliament in 1969, representing the Ashanti Region's Atwima Nwabiagya. Under the leadership of the late Professor Kofi Abrefa Busia, I was also appointed as Ghana's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Our little family was forced to move from Kumasi to Accra as a result. To my delight, Aba adapted to our new environment of a life in national politics and diplomacy with ease and confidence. She truly seemed to be enjoying the trip.

Aba and I were both in our early thirties, and between 1969 and 1971, our lives seemed to be going well. 


Aba and I were both in our early thirties and between 1969 and 1971, our lives seemed to be going well. However, everything was to come to an abrupt and startling end on January 13, 1972, when nearly every government official was taken into custody and we were imprisoned.

Our universe had collapsed.


54 of us, including cabinet ministers, junior ministers, and some members of parliament, would spend a minimum of 12 to 15 months in prison each after first enduring nearly eight weeks of being denied contact with family or the outside world while housed at Ussher Fort prison. To my surprise, this angel of a lady would endure the hardship of parenting five kids by herself. On June 16, 1972, while I was away, Aba gave birth to our fifth and last child, Kofi, as a single parent. Our family was in fact saved by her tough and incredibly disciplined demeanour.


My life is now completely empty, Aba, but I find comfort in the many mercies and blessings the good Lord has bestowed upon us during our 62-year journey. These include living a long life, having lovely children, 14 amazing grandchildren, serving our country together as a team, having loving extended families, and having a global network of friends.


I am incredibly grateful to the Almighty God for bestowing upon me you as my life companion. As the Apostle Paul once said, "You have fought the good fight, you have finished the race, and you have kept the faith." Aba, you have earned your well-deserved rest. You are now going to receive the crown of righteousness.