How a ‘watchman’ dragged a magistrate to court in 1954 for owing him

In 1954, a ‘watchman’ had cause to drag a magistrate, who was his employer, to court. 

His reason was simple: his boss owed him and had refused to pay him. 

Culled from a Daily Graphic newspaper clipping as shared by Charles Amankwa-Ampofo, a historian and veteran broadcaster, on his TikTok, he narrated how the employer, a female magistrate in charge of the Cape Coast court at the time, employed this ‘watchman’ called Musah to work for her day and night. 

He explained that along the way, the woman was transferred to Cape Coast, leaving Musah in the house in Accra. 

The house, he added, was a Judicial Service house in the magistrate’s name, but when she moved to Cape Coast, Musah remained to take care of it.

After many months of not receiving his salary, Musah wrote three letters addressed to his boss, asking her to pay him.

But that move proved futile, as the magistrate still refused.

Out of frustration and feeling cheated, Musah filed a case at the court demanding justice.

The court ruled that a reconciliation be done to ascertain the number of months owed Musah.

In the end, it was established that he was owed a total of 38 pounds, Amankwa-Ampofo shared.

The court directed that the Judicial Service pay the amount to Musah and then deduct the same from the salary of the magistrate.

Watch the historian share the story in the TikTok video below:

@ghanas.archives #ghanahistory #viralvideos #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #ghtrending #ghanatiktok🇬🇭 #ghtrends #fypシ #viraltiktok #ghviral #fyp ♬ original sound - Amankwa-Ampofo's archives