Accra, July 15, GNA - Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, former Speaker of Parliament who passed away on Tuesday morning, was the third most powerful person in Ghana for four years between January 7, 2001 and January 7, 2005.

As the first officer of the House, he acted on one occasion as President of the Republic when President John Agyekum Kufuor and Alhaji Aliu Mahama were out of the country.

The Office of Speaker was first created in Ghana, then the Gold Coast, in 1949 when the Governor ceased to be ex-officio President of the Legislative Council.

The Speaker ranks third in the official order of precedence after the President and Vice-President. The following have held the Office of Speakers of Parliament.

First Republic:

Sir Emmanuel Charles Quist, Kt., OBE- Mar 1951- Dec 1957

Justice Augustus Molade Akiwumi - Feb 1958 - June 1960

Joseph Richard Asiedu - July 1960 - June 1965

Kofi Asante Ofori-Atta - June 10, 1965 - Feb 22, 1966

Second Republic

Justice Nii Amaa Ollenu - Oct 1969 - Dec 1971

Third Republic

Justice Jacob Hackenburg Griffiths-Randolph - Sept 24, 1979 - Dec. 1981

Fourth Republic

Justice Daniel Francis Annan - Jan 7, 1993 - 1996

Justice Daniel Francis Annan - re-elected in 1997 for another four years Peter Ala Adjetey - 2001-2005

Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi Hughes - 2005-