Abavana Passes Away

Accra, June 17 GNA - The death is reported of Mr. Lawrence R. Abavana, a Minister in the First Republic and Member of Council of State in the Third Republic, at Navrongo, in the Upper East Region. He was 84.

A statement on Monday signed by Mr. Mark Woyongo, Chairman of the Publicity Sub-Committee of the funeral planning team said burial is on Saturday July 3, in Navrongo.

Mr Abavana, a teacher was elected a Member of the National Assembly of the Gold Coast in 1951, when Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Government Business.

In 1954 and 1956 he was appointed Ministerial Secretary for the Ministry of Transport and Communication and the Ministry of Agriculture respectively.

Mr Abavana was elected Member of Parliament for the Convention People's Party (CPP) in March 1957 and served in various positions as the Minister of Agriculture and first Regional Commissioner for the Northern Region.

Mr Abavana, between July 1960 and 1965 held various positions, which included Minister of Health, Trade, Mines and Natural Resources and the Interior.