Today marks one year memorial of the late former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey. The incumbent party will today remember the late gem whose lifetime was of a massive significance to the leading side.
To commemorate the late icon, the NPP will hold a ceremony in his honor. The party has organized a church service, scheduled to take place at the Ridge Church by 8.00 am today. A get-together is also expected to follow the church service to celebrate the life of the late statesman. The second event; a continuation of the celebration, will hold at the party’s National Headquarters.
Acting General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu has called on NPP loyalists to partake in the event, as a sign of respect to the late chairman whom has been described as “one of the greatest sons of the elephant.”
Indeed, a huge vacuum was created in the NPP when the party lost the iconic Jake the great. Born in Accra, Ghana, the second son of Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey (a prominent lawyer and politician) and his Dutch wife Margaretha, Jacob Obetsebi-Lamptey had his primary education in Accra, before travelling to England to further his studies.
Before his death, Jake served in different designations under the NPP, now the leading party. Jake held several ministerial posts during the Kufuor administration. Some of these posts included; Minister of Information, Minister of Tourism and Modernization of the capital, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diasporan Relations, as well as Chief of Staff.
He was the National Campaign Manager of the NPP during the 2000 Presidential elections, that saw a win for the party at the time; as well as the first constitutional (civilian-to-civilian) transition of power. Jake had resigned his post in July 2007 to campaign for the NPP nomination for the 2008 presidential elections. In February 2010, Jake Lamptey became the National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party.
Late Jake was a professional communicator. In 1966, he began work as a radio and TV scriptwriter, commentator and presenter at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC). In 1969, he joined Lintas West Africa -an advertising firm, as an account executive and radio and television producer. While at Lintas West Africa, he wrote, coordinated and executed Family Planning, and Motivation Campaign for the Ghana National Family Planning Programme.
He also worked with the World Health Organization (WHO) from 1984 to 1999. Late Jake was a plenary speaker at the World Summit on AIDS London, and Second International Symposium on the disease in Yaounde Cameroun. He was a past president of the Advertising Association of Ghana. He has several publications to his credit, covering topics like family planning and AIDS prevention in Africa.
As a professional communicator, Jake was tasked with the responsibility of handling the artistic identity of the NPP. He worked with Dan Quaye, an artist to design the the NPP flag, colors and other symbols.
Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey passed away on Sunday, March 20, 2016 in London, after an undisclosed brief illness. He was buried on April 22, at the forecourt of the state house, with numerous distinguished politicians, as well as friends and family present.
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