Raphael Nii Amaa Ollennu (21 May 1906 – 22 December 1986) was a distinguished Ghanaian jurist, statesman, and scholar. He served as Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana from 1962 to 1966, Speaker of Parliament from 1969 to 1972, and briefly as Acting President of Ghana in August 1970 during the Second Republic.
Born in Labadi, Accra, to Wilfred Kuma Ollennu and Salomey Anerkai Mandin Abbey, Ollennu was of Ga heritage. He was educated at the Salem School in Osu, Accra High School, and the Presbyterian Training College at Akropong, where he studied pedagogy and theology. He later pursued jurisprudence at Middle Temple in London, completing a three-year course in just 18 months and being called to the Bar in 1940 with distinction. He became the first in his family to qualify as a lawyer.
Ollennu began his judicial career as a puisne judge in 1955, rising to the High Court before being appointed to the Supreme Court in 1962. Renowned for his expertise in African customary law, particularly land tenure systems, he authored influential legal texts and served as Honorary Professor of Law at the University of Ghana. He also contributed actively to the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and presided over the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (1969–1972).
Politically, Ollennu was an elected representative for Accra in the Gold Coast Legislative Assembly in the early 1950s.
He founded and led the National Democratic Party in 1950, which later merged into the Ghana Congress Party. As a political figure, he stood in opposition to Kwame Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party, alongside notable leaders such as K.A. Busia and J.B. Danquah.
In August 1970, as Chairman of the Presidential Commission, he briefly served as Ghana’s Acting President, overseeing the transition from military rule under Lt. Gen. Afrifa to the ceremonial presidency of Edward Akufo-Addo.
Though his presidency was symbolic—executive power resting with Prime Minister Kofi Abrefa Busia, his role was pivotal in stabilizing the young republic.
Raphael Nii Amaa Ollennu passed away in December 1986, leaving behind a legacy as a jurist of repute, a defender of tradition, and a statesman who bridged law, politics, and scholarship in Ghana’s formative years.
A daughter of Justice Nii Amaa Ollennu and Nana Afua Frema Busia, Amerley Ollennu Awua-Asamoa, served as Ghana’s Ambassador to Denmark from 2017 to 2021.
Ollennu was a member of the District Grand Lodge of Ghana and a founding member of the Legon Lodge.
Source:Lovinghananews.com
