Modesto Apaloo

Modesto Kwasi Apaloo (24 February 1920 – 24 March 1991) was a Ghanaian politician. He was a Member of parliament and was the founder and leader of the defunct Anlo Youth Organisation.

Modesto Apaloo
Member of the Ghana Parliament for Anlo South
In office 1954–1959
Succeeded by	Daniel Apedoh[1]
Leader Anlo Youth Organisation
In office 1952–1957
Constituency	Anlo South
Personal details
Born	(1920-02-24)24 February 1920
Died	24 March 1991(1991-03-24) (aged 78)[2] Durham, England
Resting place	Awudome Cemetery, Accra
Nationality	Ghanaian
Relations	Fred Kwasi Apaloo[3]

Politics

Apaloo formed the Anlo Youth Association (AYO) in 1951 when the Gold Coast was still under British rule. His party was mainly active in the southeastern region of the country. This area is mainly occupied by the Anlo who belong to the Ewe people of Ghana.^[4] He was the only one from the AYO to win a seat in the legislative assembly after the 1954 Gold Coast legislative election.^[5] He held this seat in the 1956 elections prior to the independence of Ghana. He was thus a member of Ghana's first parliament after independence in March 1957 for the Anlo South constituency.^[6] Partly due to legislation passed by the Nkrumah's government proscribing parties that are affiliated to identifiable ethnic groups, most of the opposition parties at the time merged to form the United Party (Ghana) under the leadership of Kofi Abrefa Busia, thus ending his role as AYO leader.^[7]

Arrest

The General Officer commanding the Ghana Army at the time, Major general A. G. V. Paley ordered the court martial of an army officer George Whaitey, who failed to report a conspiracy by R. R. Amponsah and Apaloo on the life of the Prime Minister of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah in January 1959.^[8] He was suspected of plotting with other opposition leaders against the Nkrumah government.^[9] Apaloo himself was detained under the Preventive Detention Act by the Nkrumah government along with other politicians.^[1]

Death

Apaloo died at the age of 74 years at Durham, England in March 1991. He was buried at the Awudome Cemetery in Accra, Ghana.^[2]

See also

• Anlo Youth Organisation

References

1. "Ghana Arrests 80, Accra Hears" (ebook). Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 87th Congress. 108 (2nd edition). United States Congress: 559. 1 January 1962. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
2. Clegg, Sam, ed. (12 April 1991). "Obituary". People's Daily Graphic (12559). Accra: Graphic Communications Group Ltd. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
3. Clegg, Sam, ed. (16 April 1991). "Obituary". People's Daily Graphic. No. 11269. Graphic Communications Group. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
4. "Chapter Three – The Historical Context". ghana.gov.gh. Ghana government. Archived from the original on 8 October 2008. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
5. Michael Eli Dokosi (10 June 2018). "The electoral victories and shock losses of the 1954 Gold Coast election". blakkpepper.com. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
6. Frazier, Joe (14 November 2015). "Job 600 and Members of Parliament". Graphic Online. Graphic Communications Group Ltd. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
7. "Professional Bodies (Other than Legal) and Civil Society Groups" (PDF). National Reconciliation Commission Report Volume 4 Chapter 5. Ghana Government. pp. 258 & 259. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 April 2005. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
8. Davidson, Basil (1 January 1973). Black Star: A View of the Life and Times of Kwame Nkrumah. Allen Lane. p. 170. ISBN 978-0713905113. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
9. Lupalo, Lawrence (4 March 2017). African Political Thinkers of Post-colonial Africa (1st ed.). Scotts Valley, California, USA: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. p. 91. ISBN 978-1544077291. Retrieved 26 February 2020.