Godwin Lawson's Family To March To Mark Memorial

Story: Nana Sifa Twum, London.

Ghanaians in the United Kingdom especially London will join the family of the Ghanaian teenager stabbed in Stamford Hill in London Godwin Lawson, is to organise a March in his memory.

The march which among other things, is to build up awareness among the youth of London regarding the unprecedented knife crime in the UK’s capital, will take place on Sunday April 25th.

The mother of the late Lawson, Mrs. Yvonne Lawson, disclosed this in a telephone interview with this reporter.

According to her, the march will start at 10am outside Tottenham Leisure Center in north London and finish in Amhurst Park, Stamford Hill, where Godwin was killed. Lawson was killed by a countryman Moise Avorgah. The spate of Ghanaian involvement in the knife culture in the UK either as victims or offenders is alarming. Last year, a Ghanaian teenager Katakyie Addae-Kodua, was among eight teenagers in a gang called the “Smooth Money Makers” who were sentenced to between two and four years each for attacking and robbing terrified Tube and bus passengers. Another Ghanaian teenager resident in London, Kobina Essel, just last month was also sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering a Matalan Stores Manager. Two other Ghanaians — Duane Owusu, 20, and Randy Osei-Owusu, 17 — who were among six accomplices, were also sentenced to eight years and six years respectively. In July 2009 two teenage Ghanaian brothers residing in the United Kingdom with their parents George Amponsah, 19 and his brother Freddie Amponsah, were jailed for life by a court in London after finding them guilty of the murder of another teenager. They were part of a gang of six who murdered an innocent army cadet and a model pupil Shaquille Smith, 14. An endless list of knife and gun crime victims as well as the high number of offenders in the UK who are Ghanaians have hyped the genuine concern of many a Ghanaian and the High Commissioner’s called is deemed by the Ghanaian community as timely and welcome. In the minds of many of the community members, the sudden deaths of some enterprising Ghanaians who fell victim to the knife and gun crime in the UK are still fresh. The death of a 26-year-old Ghanaian victim who was stabbed in Croydon, south London, while on his way to nearby Mayday Hospital where his wife had given birth and the renowned Medical Doctor, Victoria Anyetei, 56, who was also killed on her driveway in August 2008 are just but a few of the number of victims. The Ghanaian armature boxer John "King" Abbey, a teenager Frederick Moody stabbed in London in in early 2009, and David Quartey, 22, were all Ghanaians who fell victims to knife crime in London between 2006 and now.

Another Ghanaian Charles Anokye was found guilty of murdering Abbey by a London court.

Mrs. Lawson indicated that the entire family members are in shock as a result of the death of Godwin but they deemed the march as very necessary “because this youth killings must stop.”

She observed that too many innocent teenagers are dying unnecessarily in the streets of London and hoped that her son’s stabbing would be the end of the regrettable knife culture.

Mrs. Lawson said she will take the opportunity to talk to parents especially mothers to encourage their wards to get out of the streets because there is much danger in the streets of London.

She said the family will also appeal to the youth to refrain from forming gangs and destroying lives by impression upon them the need to appreciate human life.

The bereaved mother paid tribute to her son and noted that “Godwin was a good, gentle and kind boy, a boy we all loved so much because he also loved us.”

“We missed him, and forever, we shall miss him” she added.

She expressed the family’s disappointment at his death and said we are struggling to come to terms with “the brutalities committed against us.”

She hinted that a number of high ranking political figures and opinion leaders including Members of Parliament and the Clergy have expressed their desire to take part in the march.

Mrs. Lawson expressed her gratitude to the members of the Ghanaian community and the High Commission for their support

Speaking on the funeral of her late son, she said the police have not released the body to the family, “so the funeral may be in somewhere May.” . Meanwhile Moise Avorgah, the Ghanaian teenager charged on suspicion of the murder of the Ghanaian teenager football star, has been remanded in custody by the Old Bailey (The Central Criminal Court in England) to a hearing in June 16th His plea was not taken and was also denied bail.

Moise Avorgah, of St Ann's Road, was charged with the murder of Godwin Nii Lawson on Saturday, March 27, in Hackney.

Godwin Lawson, 17, of Enfield, north London, died on March 27 after being stabbed in Hackney, east London. He was stabbed in Amhurst Park at 1.50am in the morning. A post-mortem examination gave cause of death as a stab wound to the chest.