Rest In Peace, Cruelly Slain Dr. Chris Adu Boahen

The death of any young man of promise before he has had a chance to show the world fully, what he was capable of achieving, is an awfully sad affair. More so, if by descent as well as personal attainments, he shows promise of leaving the world better than he found it.

Those who knew Dr Christopher Adu Boahen, the murdered son of the late Professor Albert Kwadwo Adu Boahen, the first presidential candidate of the NPP (after civilian rule had been restored to Ghana by the second military regime headed by Flight-Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings) speak of him with affection and deep respect.

One of the classkates of the deceased young man, who was at the at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) described Chris as a “sweet young man who wouldn't hurt a fly.”

His brother Charles, an ex-Minister who was the immediate senior of Chris, concurred with this view and added: “His death has been a devastating blow.”

The police have arrested a houseboy, and are still investigating the circumstances of the murder, so it is impossible to obtain details of the murder, lest that alerts any potential accomplices to what the police know.

The houseboy known as Mark Forson, was taken to a district court at Kaneshie, in Accra, on 17 April 2024, under a provisional charge of murder and remanded in custody till 9 May 2024. The prosecution stood the court that a surgeon of the Korle Bu hospital, who is a friend to Dr Adu Boahen, visited Boahen‘s house on 11 February 2024. He was met by an unusual smell in the house.

The visitor entered Boahen’s room, only to find him dead on his bed He thereupon went and reported the matter to the police. The police went into the house and discovered Chris Adu Boahen lying dead on his bed, with a rope around his neck.There were signs that a robbery had taken place in the room. The police suspected foul play and began investigations, which led to the arrest of Mark Forson on 14 March 2024.

The late Chris Adu Boahen was born in 1971. He was a graduate of KNUST. His was a very tragic life – he was severely injured in a motor accident that nearly cost him his life on a trip to Namibia. Doctors in South Africa managed to save his life, but he was obliged to use a wheel-chair afterwards.

He left two children – Albert and Antonio. It is understood that he was separated from his wife.

Chris was the son of the late Professor Albert Kwadwo Adu Boahen, emeritus professor of history at the University of Ghana. Prof Adu Boahen stood election against Flight-Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings, the letter converted his military Provisional National Defence Council government to a democratically-elected Government in 1993.

He was widely praised for having the courage to stand against Rawlings, whose second time as military head of state had been marked with murders of those who opposed his rule, as well as general brutality.

Prof Adu Boahen’s strategy was first, to denounce Rawlings for hypocritically instituting a “culture of silence” in Ghana, and turning round to declare that such a state of affairs was inimical to the welfare of the country and its people.

Boahen .next frontally challenged Rawlings openly in a presidential Election, whose result he declared as a “stolen verdict”. Thatbhestood agaihstvRawlihgs, despite being intimidated and despite being intimidated and obstructed at every turn, marked him out as a hero for many Ghanaians, especially those who belong to his New People’s Party (NPP)..