Peter Ala Adjetey, My Inspirer
The sudden death of former Speaker of Parliament, Right Honourable Peter Ala Adjetey, on July 15, has deprived the nation of a steely and resolute personality, a legal luminary and a man of political distinction.
He will be deeply mourned and remembered by many. Among them are people whose life he had touched positively in one form or the other.
Mr Adjetey, as a lawyer, inspired me to excel as an interviewer and the host of discussion programmes. It happened more than 40 years back when I was a student at the Ghana Institute of Journalism in Accra.
As part of training at the institute, our tutor, Sam Arthur of blessed memory, often assigned us to the courts to observe proceedings and submit a report on any case of interest. That was his strategy of sharpening our skill in factual, accurate and balanced reporting.
It was during those assignments that Mr Adjetey first struck me as a lawyer of no mean calibre. I listened with rapt attention while astounded by the depth of his knowledge of the law and his ability to readily cite appropriate cases to support his arguments and submissions.
Hardly was he ever overruled by the judges before whom he appeared. Besides, Mr Adjetey had an authoritative command of the Queen's English and used it with amazing and admirable fluency.
What fascinated me, even more, was his very intricate yet purposeful and logical manner of cross-examination. Being ignorant about law practice, I sometimes wondered whether he was not overly intimidating and bullying witnesses or accused persons.
But later I appreciated the fact that he was using what is regarded in the law profession as the four weapons or techniques of cross-examination that is, the techniques of confrontation, insinuation, undermining and probing.
And he applied any one or a combination of them as warranted by the case he was handling.
After watching Mr Adjetey so expertly perform his trade, I resolved that should I ever turn my back on journalism, I would study law and aspire to be an advocate of his class. But should I still stick to journalism, I would apply some of his cross-examination classs to achieve excellence in interviewing.
When I became the first recipient of a national media award for the "Outstanding Interviewer" for 1989/90, I wondered whether I should regard the award as an evidence of having been a true "disciple" of Mr Adjetey.
Whatever inner bond of relationship I had cultivated with him was driven home to me by some members of the public who, after watching or listening to my programmes, asked whether I was a lawyer. Some even suggested that if I study law I would be a very good lawyer.
Among those well-meaning people was Lawyer N.N. Heward Mills of blessed memory who came personally to GBC to present me a book he had authored on cross-examination.
I have had occasions to interview Mr Adetey for broadcast. One which I regard as most significant was during the challenging period of the PNDC regime when most journalists succumbed to what was then known as the culture of silence, The interview was to know his views on the decentralisation process or the District Assembly concept introduced by the PNDC in 1988.
The interview was fixed for lunch time at his office, Nii Okantey Chambers, at Post Office Square in Accra. On my arrival, Mr Adjetey received me warmly and expressed appreciation for my courage to interview him. He then asked if I was sure that I would be permitted to put his voice on GBC radio. He also wondered whether I was not exposing myself to any hazard by coming to his office.
I told Mr Adjetey that my profession was fraught with hazards which no journalist worth their calling could live without. Besides, I regarded him as a highly respected and eminent lawyer whose views on critical national issues would be of public interest.
After listening to my "submissions" he gave the go-ahead for our interview which lasted for almost an hour. I left his office with a deep feeling of accomplishment backed by his wish of good luck and success for my endeavours.
But true to the apprehensions of Mr Adjetey, the interview was not approved for broadcast. This momentarily shattered my professional spirit and I felt a sense of failure and disappointment.
I went back to his office to apologise for the failure. He accepted the apology graciously, noting that he fully understood my predicament. His final words were that I should keep up my spirits. I have since done so, no matter the odds and vicissitudes of my professional life.
Mr Adjetey was a former President of the Ghana Bar Association and won its recognition and honour as a Senior Advocate of Ghana. I am convinced that he would have easily crowned his legal career as a Chief Justice, if he had "agreed" to serve on the bench.