The Ulster History Circle is a small voluntary not for profit organisation that places commemorative plaques in public places in towns and villages all over the Province in commemoration of men and women who have contributed to its culture, industry and history.
Blue Plaque for Dr. Raphael Ernest Grail Armattoe
Dr Armattoe comes from the Ayivor family lineage (clan). The grand father was Chief Baku Ayivor II of Denu and the father, Glikpo ‘Armattoe’ Ayivor, an industrialist. Denu is part and parcel of Ghana. Dr Armattoe campaigned for Trans -Volta Togoland (TRUST TERRITORY) to be part of Togo but in a plebiscite in1956 they decided to be part of Ghana after he had long died.
Dr Armattoe was educated at Mfantsipim Secondary School with K.A. Busia, who became the prime Minister of Ghana in 1969. He was a member of the Ghana Congress Party, then headed by Justice Nii Amaa Ollennu and had people like Busia and Tawia Adamafio as members.
Rachel Naylor, based in the University of Ulster at Magee said that she had done quite a lot of work in the area where Armattoe was born. She was sure that people in that part of Ghana and across the border in Togo would be very proud that this honour had been given to a person from that area and she hoped that they would get to know about it.
Here are some photos of the event.
Stanley Armattoe unveils his father?s plaque
After James King had read one of Dr Armattoe?s poems, Requiem, Stanley Armattoe thanked the Circle for this tribute to his father. He said the plaque was a remarkable acknowledgement of his father?s impact on the people of Derry and of the positive part played by African people in the life and culture of the City and of Northern Ireland.
Alfred Abolarin, Manager of the African and Caribbean Support Organisation Northern Ireland, said that this was a significant and symbolic milestone in the history of the Irish African community in Northern Ireland. The life and work of Dr. Armattoe proved that Africans can and have contributed to civic society in the Province. For too long the perception of African people had been one of negativity. However, today the Ulster History Circle, by this plaque, was sending a different message; a message of equality and protection of human rights, a message of inclusivity, of hope and of positive change.
Elly Omondi Odhiambo said that his first encounter with the famous name of Armattoe was when he had been doing research at Magee and had difficulty finding anything about African people in the West of the province. There had been anti-slavery Africans who visited Ireland, such as Frederick Douglas and Olaudah Equiano. Armattoe was trying to defeat discrimination through his writing and his great book about West African civilisation in which he had set out to refute the Western view that African art and culture was simplistic. It was a pity that his work was not taken seriously because he died at such a young age. It was gratifying to note however that a lot of people were now interested in writing about him.
Rachel Naylor, based in the University of Ulster at Magee said that she had done quite a lot of work in the area where Armattoe was born. She was sure that people in that part of Ghana and across the border in Togo would be very proud that this honour had been given to a person from that area and she hoped that they would get to know about it.
