Private legal practitioner Ace Ankomah has eulogised former Director General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) as one of the best public official Ghana has ever had.
He said the principles Ms Eva Lokko stood for and her knack to keep records whilst in public were admirable qualities which are lacking in the public service.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, a day after the shocking passing of the Progressive People’s Party’s Vice Presidential candidate in the 2012 elections, Mr Ankomah said “Eva Lokko is what the nation lacks and misses in public service.”
The sudden death of Eva Lokko was announced on Thursday by the PPP. An official of the party, Richmond Keelson who confirmed the news to Joy News gave no further details on what caused her death.
Until her death, plain speaking engineer-turned-politician was a strong female voice in the political arena and was named her party’s Parliamentary candidate in the Klottey Korle constituency elections later this year. She was her party’s vice presidential candidate during the 2012 presidential elections.
Ms Lokko is also remembered for a court action she brought against the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) in 2005. The Corporation accused her of financial misappropriation and asked her to proceed on leave.
But she proceeded to court where she was cleared of all the charges leveled against her. In its judgment, the court said but for the fact that she had entered into politics, it would have ordered her to go back and finish her term as Director-General of the GBC.
Ace Ankomah, who was counsel for her during the turbulent period, said she was bent on restructuring the GBC and it was no surprise that some of the workers came at her.
“And often people like that, I say God graces every generation with a few of them to teach us lessons, to look at what they are able to achieve and her unwillingness to take the proceed on leave lying down was the height of it.
“And to go to court and to get the court to affirm her on every material that had been thrown against her…tells you about her absolute vindication and the things she wanted to do.”
Mr Ankomah said he was extremely impressed with her tenacious mind during the court proceedings and at some point passed on the case to his junior.
“There was no point, she didn’t need my protection in cross-examination. She knew what her story was about. She had a great mind, she remembered details, kept records and she knew the information at her finger tip.”
“We all have to learn from the things she achieved and her ultimate and absolute vindication by the court that she was right and the system was wrong,” he said.
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.
