Lawyer from poor home through hard work won six awards

Accra, Oct. 3, GNA - Mr Richard Oppong Frimpong received six awards on Friday when 102 new Lawyers were called to the Bar with the audience cheering while his mother was jubilant with pride that her son had made it out of poverty and lowliness. Richard's mother showed her excitement very early when she ran to embrace her son, with shouts of "Yeede nkunim, ...ye be san edi bio," (literally meaning we are victorious, we shall be victorious again) as he was called to receive his first award - 'The Charles Mensah-Cann Award' for the best male student with the best all round performance in the two parts of the professional examination.

The audience cheerfully applauded him when he walked the aisle several times to receive one award after the other with a wide grin on his face and the ovation was deafening as he collected the ultimate award from Vice President Aliu Mahama. Madam Mary Adjei, Richard's mother was full of gratitude to God and the people, who helped to finance her firstborn's education. She has six children. "Richard comes from a poor home and I am so grateful that he has made it as the first Lawyer in the family," she said. "I don't know what I would have done if he were admitted today because they are now charging 12 million cedis."

Madam Adjei, who is Girls Education Officer for Sekyere East District, said she is grateful to the Chief of Asokore, Nana Dr Susubribi Korbieh Asante II and other friends, who contributed to funding Richard's education. She expressed the hope that her son would one day become the Attorney - General of Ghana. Richard himself said pursuing his profession did not come easy as "I faced financial, transportation and accommodation problems".

Mr Frimpong, 25, started his primary education at Asante Afigyiase Perseverance Preparatory School, and took the inspiration from the name of his alma mater and persistently worked hard. He won the coveted Mensah-Sarbah Memorial Award for the best all round student and went on to annex Colonel C.H.K. Lodoh Prize for the best male student in Conveyance and Drafting; Sam Okudzeto Prize for Legal Accountancy; the F.K. Apaloo Prize for best student in Company Law and Practice and the Kenneth D. Laryea Prize for best student in Law and Evidence.

On Sunday, Richard would leave for England to pursue his Masters in Banking, Financing and Trade Law at Fritz William College, Cambridge University. He told the GNA in an interview that he was not too surprised with his feat as he was not new to success that came from hard work and perseverance. "At all the institutions I attended I worked hard to distinguish myself and I knew I could do same here if I put a little more than usual," he said. "My only regret is that my wife was not here to share in my joy because she is writing an exam," he said.

In 1992, Richard, as a graduate from Asokore Methodist Junior Secondary School in the Ashanti Region became the first candidate in the Sekyere East District to win an aggregate six in the Basic Education Certificate Examination. He then proceeded to the Opoku Ware Secondary School, in Kumasi, where he also passed out with flying colours, before joining the University of Ghana. He urged Ghanaian Lawyers, especially those resident abroad to contribute to expand the facilities at the Law School to make teaching and learning much easier for students. "Come back to Macedonia and help," was his plea.

Richard aspires to be a lecturer in addition to his private practice when he returns from Cambridge and he believes that with the trend in trade relations between developed and developing countries, his experience in Trade Law and Banking would be of immense help in trade negotiations involving Ghana. Madam Adjei, was, however not the only proud mother as others cheered their children, waving handkerchiefs when they were called to receive their awards or certificates. The parents of Seyram Wilhelmina Adabla were also proud that their daughter received four awards. So were those of Nana Akosua Quaygraine and Aba Gyesiwah Abaidoo, who received three awards each out of the 29 awards.