Dan Lartey laid to rest

The late Mr. Dan Augustus Lartey, founder of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), was on Saturday buried with a call on Ghanaians to imitate the politician who upheld honesty, hard work and self-sacrifice.

Conducting the funeral service in Accra, Most Reverend Dr Justice Ofei Akrofi, Anglican Archbishop of the Church of Province of West Africa, described him as a ‘colourful’ politician who made significant contributions to the country’s political landscape.

Most Rev. Dr Akrofi noted that the late Mr. Lartey never indulged in insults throughout political campaigns and made the call on all the political parties together with party followers to imitate him.

Referring to the self-sacrificing spirit of Mr Lartey, the clergyman said: “His success was earned by the sweat of his brow,” adding that it should be a quality that the citizenry must cultivate for the socio-economic development of the country.

Most Rev. Dr Akrofi expressed worry that some people resorted to get rich-quick attitude and advised Ghanaians to work hard to succeed.

The funeral ceremony was attended by government delegation including Vice President John Dramani Mahama, the Chief Justice Georgina Woode, party functionaries including the National Democratic Congress (NDC), New Patriotic Party, GCPP, Convention People’s Party, People’s National Convention and the Democratic People’s Party.

A tribute read on her behalf, Mrs Sarah Rosetta Lartey, wife of the late Mr Lartey, described him as a man of humility, perseverance and selflessness.

“You have excelled in many fields and also in bringing the idea of ‘Domestication’ to Ghanaians. Your heart for forgiveness and your love of God cannot be over emphasized. You housed the homeless, fed the hungry and humoured the nation,” she said.

Dr Kwabena Adjei, National Chairman of the NDC, lauded the late Mr Lartey’s political contributions and called on government to ensure that the GCPP survive to contribute towards multi-party democracy.

Mr Lartey became more popular after participating in the 2000 Presidential Debate (under the ticket of GCPP) when he extolled ‘Domestication’, which he explained to mean a policy of using local content to promote socio-economic development of the country.

Mr Lartey died at age 83 and he was survived by a wife and six children and many grandchildren.

Source: GNA