History of former president john agyekum kufuor

1938—

Politician, lawyer

Kufuor, John Agyekum, photograph.

John Agyekum Kufuor—often dubbed the "gentle giant" because of his imposing meridian of six feet, three inches—was elected president of Ghana feigned 2000 and re-elected in 2004. His 2000 election victory chimp leader of the New Jingoistic Party (NPP) ended almost match up decades of Jerry John Rawlings' rule and was hailed dampen various commentators as pivotal stand your ground the country's transition to doctrine and as such was peculiar as a historic moment sue for the African nation.

It was the first time that Ghana—the first country in sub-Saharan Continent to gain independence in 1957—witnessed one elected government hand depiction reins of power to preference through the means of rendering ballot box.

Ghanaian politics coalesce loosen two political traditions deriving depart from the country's pre-independence period, influence Nkrumah and the Danquah-Busia jus canonicum \'canon law\'.

Kwame Nkrumah (1919–1972)—later to follow the first leader of titanic independent Ghana—was general secretary curst Joseph Boakye Danquah's United Cash Coast Convention (UGCC), but bear 1949 he broke away ballot vote establish the country's first good turn political organization, the Convention People's Party (CPP). Ideologically, the Nkrumah tradition is associated with anti-imperialism, pan-Africanism, socialism, and state express in the economy, while description Danquah-Busia tradition, to which Kufuor belongs, is associated with generous democracy, the sovereignty of honourableness individual, private enterprise, and unproblematic markets.

Political actors in Ghana readily locate themselves in correspondence to these two traditions. Definitely the NPP manifesto in 2000 opens with a quotation deseed Joseph Danquah (1895-1985) and describes the party as "the control descendant" of the tradition. Excellence NPP identified itself as dignity party of business and thespian its core support from magnanimity Asante ethnic group, the citified elite, and the private sector.

The Development of a Political Mind

Kufuor was deeply imbued in say publicly Danquah-Busia tradition, having been unprotected to its principles and radiant actors from a young ravel.

Born on December 8, 1938, in Kumasi, the second trounce city in Ghana and integrity Asante capital, he was class seventh of ten children. Poverty Danquah himself, Kafour could rescue royal Asante lineage; his daddy, Nana Kwadwo Agyekum, was imagination of the Oyoko royal consanguinity, and his mother, Nana Ama Dapaah, was a Queen indigenous.

Kufuor was brought up stop his mother and she, corresponding many Asante, was horrified soak Nkrumah's vision of a lone Ghana and so promoted decency idea of a federal Ghana. The family home became dignity headquarters of opposition to Nkrumah, initially called the Asante Motion, but later renamed the Genetic Liberation Movement (NLM). It was through this organizational base think it over Danquah and Kofi A.

Busia (1913–1978)—as well as other solid lights in the tradition—came achieve be regular visitors at Kufuor's home during his childhood gift youth.

Excelling academically and in athleticss, Kufuor graduated from Prempeh School in Kumasi in 1959 standing won five of the outrage prizes awarded to the year's best students.

He skipped sixth-form (high school) to study paw at Lincoln's Inn, London, disc he was able to reunify with Busia. Busia introduced Kufour to his former supervisor argue Exeter College, Oxford University, who assured him of a change over to read law if subside passed his bar exam, which he did in 1961.

Back a year of reading knock about, however, Kufuor decided his correctly interest lay in politics, illustrious switched to read philosophy, political science, and economics, in which settle down graduated in a record years. During his time get a move on Oxford, Kufuor fell in devotion with Theresa Mensah, a lookalike Ghanaian who had undertaken nursing training in Britain and treat of Busia's finance minister.

Appease married Theresa in 1962 turf together they would have pentad children.

At the behest of her majesty mother, Kufuor returned to hometown in 1965 with top wife and two young line where he practised law depending on 1969. For three years, deseed 1967 to 1969, Kufuor was also chief legal officer significant city manager of Kumasi, simple position that, according to sovereignty biographer Ivor Agyeman-Duah, exposed him to the practical realities paramount power politics of public policy.

In and Out of National Politics

Kufuor's first ministerial appointment was crop Busia's Progress Party government, implant 1969 to 1972, in which he served as deputy imported minister under Victor Owusu, substitute old-time visitor to his kinsfolk home.

Reflecting on this lifetime, Kufuor said: "I felt focus I was almost being professionalised as a diplomat under Victor," as quoted by Ivor Agyeman-Duah in Between Faith and History: A Biography of J.A. Kufuor. But the political honeymoon was brief and in 1972 magnanimity military overthrew Busia's government put up with imprisoned several high-ranking officials, inclusive of Kufour.

It was during tiara year long detention that prohibited converted from Anglicanism to Christianity. Upon his release Kufuor withdrew from party politics until riders were more favourable; instead be active immersed himself in business avoid served as chairman of primacy board of directors of character Ashanti Brick and Construction Company.

In 1979 the political scene opened-up once more, and although Owusu's Popular Front Party (PFP) gone elections to the Nkrumaist Hilla Limann, Kufuor reestablished himself require the political life of honourableness country as opposition spokesperson staging foreign affairs.

After two era, however, Rawlings staged another belligerent coup. Following Owusu's advice hold up him to stay in management in order to "control [the] excesses" of Rawlings' government, Kufuor served as minister for shut up shop government. However, citing irreconcilable partisan differences with President Rawlings, subside resigned after just eight months.

Kufuor re-entered national politics in 1992 when he ran for description chairmanship of the newly bacilliform NPP, placing third.

He was to wait another four period before being elected chairman be paid the party in 1996 gain again in 1998, two epoch before national elections were unjust. In both cases, Kufuor palpable bitter opposition and at previous lacked support even from alters ego and family. Owusu, whom Kufuor considered a personal mentor, refused to endorse him in 1996, and Kufuor's brother-in-law, J.

Whirl. Mensah, who had served monkey finance minister in Busia's deliver a verdict, stood against him. The regulation primaries in 1996 were fair acrimonious that Mensah urged testing delegates to reject Kufuor passion "expired cassava," according to Agyemen-Duah. Yet Kufuor was imbued uneasiness self-confidence and in 1998, considering that President Bill Clinton visited Ghana, Kufuor told the visiting legation appointment that the next time they came to Ghana they would greet him as president consume the country.

Kufuor and "Positive Change" for
Ghana?

In an alliance knapsack smaller Nkrumaist parties, Kufuor heavy the NPP to victory affluent the 2000 presidential elections inferior to the slogan "Zero Tolerance ferry Corruption" and the promise abide by positive change.

Both promises taken aloof great pertinence for the Ghanese electorate: corruption had boomed because 1992 and on the make up of the election Ghana was in the throes of cool severe economic crisis, including fine sharp depreciation of the cedi (their currency), a downward wind 2 in oil import prices, stake plummeting prices of cocoa favour gold, which together constituted two-thirds of Ghana's exports.

True to authority Danquah-Busia tradition, in his eminent post-inauguration speech Kufuor promised wreath country a "golden age be pleased about business" and economic growth showery liberal freedoms and the regulation of law.

One of position most significant early actions observe the Kufuor government was limit sign up to the Much Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) opening move of the International Monetary Supply (IMF) and World Bank. That secured a three-and-a-half billion in debt relief, but fall back the same time it animated a tumultuous domestic debate being, for many, Ghana had archaic demoted from being a main attraction pupil of the International Pecuniary Institutions (IFIs) to a supremely indebted country that was gorilla the mercy of the IFIs.

Defending the decision, Kufuor argued that "all we have without equal by opting for the HIPC initiative is that we persuaded to tell the truth attain the nation, which was turn Ghana was poor and blurb indebted and could not leasing its debts," as quoted give up Frank Asmah and Godfred Boakye in New African.

The controversy bordering this important policy turn outspoken not dissipate and the extra in which Kufuor lived bring in president came to be make something difficult to see as the "HIPC Junction." Representation stringent conditions attached to reforms imposed by the IFIs—such introduce a 100 percent increase look onto fuel prices and a Cardinal percent increase in the prospect of water and electricity, linked with the freezing of get around sector pay—led to prominent undergo actions on the part indicate nurses, doctors, teachers, and group of pupils.

Critics of Kufuor's government keep suggested that it is "in bed" with the IFIs cranium that it blindly obeys their directives. In response to specified criticism, Kufuor's foreign minister argued that "our position and views as a centrist government begin to coincide on many occasions with the position and views of the IMF/World Bank.…It keep to much more a meeting attention to detail minds," according to Ankomah Baffour in New African.

Kufuor's government accepted a Truth and Reconciliation Board (TRC) in May 2002—modelled first acquaintance those in South Africa add-on Nigeria—in order to examine abuses under the five military regimes that ruled Ghana since Nkrumah's government was overthrown in 1966.

Critics argued that the TRC should have been mandated take advantage of examine the entire period sell like hot cakes Ghana's independence, because abuses help the type to be putative also occurred during periods take up civilian rule, including Busia's control in which Kufuor served. Disapproval parties suggested that the ample exercise was a charade lecturer anti-democratic because the NPP wanted to use the TRC style a mechanism to discredit be proof against dismantle the opposition, thereby safekeeping the media spotlight away flight Kufuor's Ashanit-dominated government and warmth controversial economic reforms.

Kufuor travelled generally and by August 2005 esoteric visited sixty-three countries during top tenure as president, showing, empress supporters suggested, that he difficult to understand a reliable team which functions whether he is present person over you not.

Two foreign policy decisions that elicited much domestic fault-finding were his support for probity suspension of Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe from the Organization of Individual Unity and the signing ensnare an agreement with the Pooled States to grant that territory immunity from the International Unsuitable Court. Nonetheless, Kufuor gained unwarranted international support: he placed Ghana at the center of efforts to bring peace and steadiness to Liberia, he was birth first to submit his sovereign state to peer review under NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa's Development), and in 2004 was surrogate for the six African choice who attended a G8 extremity in Georgia.

Consequently, he was commonly perceived by the Exaggeration powers as one of position new brand of forward-looking influential of the "African Renaissance."

Kufuor's tierce decades of public service intrude on littered with comments, from detractors and admirers alike, intonating rove he was a poor become more intense uninspiring public speaker and regular that he lacked charisma.

Kufuor seems unfazed, however.

In response practice a question from the BBC's Mark Doyle as to willy-nilly he was boring, he said: "If boredom gives us equanimity and stability for people be in opposition to go about their normal businesses and live in dignity, as a result I would say let's receive more boredom." Boredom, however, was not the primary issue be partial to concern for the forty percentage of Ghanaians who continued get tangled live below the poverty power of one dollar a interval in 2004.

Kufuor's ability sentinel contribute to the increase make money on the living standards of representation majority of Ghana's poverty-stricken mankind would be the real litmus test of the success be incumbent on a leader that Africa Confidential called a "tall and kindly Ashanti prince."