Dan Lartey laid to rest

Centre spread, Feb 8, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah & Henrietta Brocke
IT was a real celebration of life as hundreds of mourners and sympathisers from all walks of life converged on the forecourt of the State House, Accra, last Saturday to participate in the funeral and burial service of the veteran politician, Daniel Lartey.
The casket bearing the remains of the Mr Lartey, 83, who passed away in his sleep at his “Citadel House” residence at Kaneshie, was placed under a decorated tent for the public to file past.
Vice-President John Dramani Mahama led the government delegation to pay their last respects to Mr Lartey, popularly called “Domestication”, the founder and leader of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP).
Also present were the former Vice–President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama; the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Wood; the Election 2008 flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo-Danquah Akuffo Addo; the Chairman of the NDC, Dr Kwabena Adjei; the NDC Secretary, Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah; the Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu; Members of Parliament (MPs), the Leader of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), Mr T.N. Ward Brew, and Mr Ansa Asare of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP).
Others were the Central Regional Minister, Ms Ama Benyiwa-Doe; the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr Alex Segbefia, and the NDC National Women’s Organiser, Anita Jemima De-Sosoo.
Preaching the sermon, the Anglican Archbishop of the Cardinal Province of West Africa, the Most Rev Dr Justice Ofei Akrofi, said the best tribute Ghanaian politicians could pay Mr Lartey was to emulate his principle of basing his campaign on issues rather than attacking personalities.
He said aside from making his indelible mark on the political scene in his ‘domestication’ mantra, Mr Lartey never attacked any personality but explained issues.
Dr Adjei, on behalf of the government, noted that the idea of domestication would not be overthrown.
He said Mr Lartey was really self-reliant and self-sufficient and shared his ideology with other political parties for the development of the country.
The government donated GH¢10,000, while the NDC donated GH¢2,000 to support the family.
In her tribute, the widow, Mrs Sarah Lartey, praised her husband for his love, saying, “Your spirit lives on; your words will bring me strength and your promise will fill my heart with peace.”
For her part, the CPP MP for Jomoro, Ms Samia Nkrumah, called on all Nkrumaists to honour the late Lartey by coming under one umbrella.
“So as we bid farewell to an inspired Nkrumaist, we pay tribute to him and all departed pioneers by pledging to forge ahead with the domestication campaign and to unite the Nkrumaist front — the CPP, the PNC, the GCPP and other splinter groups — in order to establish a viable alternative force that will lead our country and people to economic self-reliance without fail,” she said.
The body was later conveyed to the Osu Cemetery for interment.
A former publisher and labour unionist, Mr Lartey's name became a household one following his 2004 mantra of ‘domestication’, the political philosophy of growing Ghana from Ghana, instead of depending on foreign aid and investments.
His political career started in 1969 when he contested the Gomoa East Constituency seat on the ticket of the National Alliance of Liberals (NAL) in the parliamentary election of that year.
In 1972, he was appointed a special adviser to General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong’s National Redemption Council (NRC) government and in 1978 he represented Gomoa-Ewutu-Effutu at the Constituent Assembly to write the Third Republican Constitution.
He was a founder member of the People's National Party (PNP) in 1979 and aspiring presidential candidate of the National Independence Party (NIP) in 1992, losing to Mr Kwabena Darko.
With signs of old age and its attendant ill health, Mr Lartey returned to Ghana on November 29, 2009 after a six-month visit to the United States of America (USA) where he had received medical treatment, but he passed away on Monday, December 28, 2009.
Mr Lartey, who was the 2000 and 2004 presidential candidate of the GCPP, was born on August 1, 1926 at Winneba in the Central Region.
After his elementary education in Ghana, he proceeded to the UK, where he obtained a diploma at the London Chamber of Commerce and Sloan's Shorthand Certificate of Proficiency. He also obtained a diploma in Commerce and Industry from the London School of Economics in 1956.
From 1944 to 1958, Mr Lartey worked with the then United Africa Company (UAC), where he rose to senior management status and was posted to its headquarters at the Unilever House in London.
He established a number of businesses, including Lartey & Lartey Books and Stationery, which later became the nucleus of Ghana Book Supply, Citadel Printing Press and the Federal Stores of Nigeria.
Mr Lartey also established five newspapers — the Citadel Daily, African World, Citadel Sports, The Guardian and The Guardian Sports.
Later in life, he became the Odikro of Gomoa Lome in the Central Region but had to vacate the stool when he decided to engage in active political party activities in 1992.
He left behind six children and his 87-year-old widow, Sarah.