'Fearless' Elizabeth Ohene redefined courage – Kwaku Sakyi-Addo

Kwaku Addo Sakyi-Addo, the Non-executive Board Chairman of National Communications Authority (NCA), has described a journalist and politician, Elizabeth Akua Ohene, as someone who redefined courage.

According to him, ‘fearless’ Elizabeth Ohene was able to do this “when smoke still billowed from the guns that were used to slaughter military generals, when broad-shouldered men trembled and cowered, when waves of frenzied students bayed for blood including hers, Elizabeth Ohene dared to clench her little feminine fist in the face of the bearded men who signed their death warrants.”

Kwaku Sakyi-Addo believes that the brave Elizabeth Ohene was able to fight “bare-knuckled, unshielded, unprotected and without the comforts and cushions of a liberal democratic constitution.”

And “Today, anybody can 'speak truth to power' and bang their chest to the accompaniment of rude epithets for circulation in the safe confines of WhatsApp groups and other social media, and call themselves brave.”

The former host of ‘Kwaku One On One’ in a birthday post to celebrate the veteran journalist noted that the morning after the AFRC executions of the military generals and former heads of state of Ghana in June 1979, Madam Elizabeth Ohene wrote an editorial in the state-owned Daily Graphic challenging the Rawlings led military government for the bloodletting.

“Against what appeared to be the popular tide, she wrote warning those intoxicated with the blood of others that one day they would look back with regret.”

Read the full post of Kwaku Sakyi-Addo below.

HAPPY 75th, ELIZABETH OHENE!

The morning after the June 1979 AFRC executions of a number of generals and former heads of state of Ghana, Elizabeth Ohene wrote an editorial in the state-owned (repeat, state-owned!) Daily Graphic challenging the military government for the bloodletting.

Against what appeared to be the popular tide, she wrote warning those intoxicated with the blood of others that one day they would look back with regret.

When smoke still billowed from the guns that were used to slaughter military generals, when broad-shouldered men trembled and cowered, when waves of frenzied students bayed for blood including hers, Elizabeth Ohene dared to clench her little feminine fist in the face of the bearded men who signed their death warrants. She redefined courage.

Today, anybody can “speak truth to power” and bang their chest to the accompaniment of rude epithets for circulation in the safe confines of WhatsApp groups and other social media, and call themselves brave. Of course! It’s a democracy!

The Brave Ones fought bare-knuckled, unshielded, unprotected and without the comforts and cushions of a liberal democratic constitution.

Thank you, Elizabeth Ohene, for allowing us to perch on your narrow shoulders so we can see far. Thank you for the inspiration.

You’re my heroine.

Happy Birthday.

Kwaku Sakyi-Addo