Politics
Occupations of 6 Ghanaians before they became politicians
Like everyone else, government officials are shaped by where they started thus their first job before coming into mainstream politics.
But their first jobs can say just as much about the people they were and who they would become.
This article uses a historical approach in examining the legal profession of Ghanaians before they became politicians.
Pulse.com.gh compiles a list of the first jobs of government officials or leaders. Some started in the legal sector, some were teachers, and some were economists professionally.
Asiedu Nketia
Johnson Asiedu Nketia, popularly known as General Mosquito is the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He began his career as a professional teacher at Seketia Presby Primary in the Jaman North District of the Bono region.
He gained admission to the University of Ghana Business School in 1983 to read a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration.
Nketia was a member of the pioneer batch for a Post Graduate Training Programme in Stock Brokerage and Investment Analysis when the Ghana Stock Exchange was introduced.
He obtained a Master of Science Degree in Defense and International Politics from the Ghana Armed Forces Command College in 2019.
Aseidu Nketia has worked at GIHOC Distilleries Company Limited.
He then worked as a manager for the Nkoraman Rural Bank, and Sehwi Asawinso Rural Bank as a trainee manager. He has also worked with the National Trust Holding Company Limited (NTHC) as a stockbroker and an investment banker.
As a member of the Ghanaian parliament, Aseidu Nketia worked on the Appointments Committee, Finance Committee, and Public Accounts Committee.
He has been a Chairman of the Mines and Energy Committee, Ranking Member for the Food and Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, and Deputy Majority Chief Whip. He was Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture in charge of crops under the Jerry John Rawlings administration.
He was elected into the first parliament of the fourth republic of Ghana on 7 January 1993 after being pronounced the winner at the 1992 election held on December 29, 1992.
John Boadu
John Boadu is an accountant, a quantitative analyst, a political realist, and a former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He comes from Assin Fosu in the Central Region.
He attained a GCE Advanced Level Certificate from the Opoku Ware Secondary School in Kumasi and proceeded to the University of Ghana-Legon, where he read a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Business Administration.
Boadu worked as the General Manager of Faab Limited and as a Financial Controller at FM Woodtech Limited in the 90s.
He is currently the Secretary of Express Way Microfinance Company Limited, Board Member of the Tema Oil Refinery, Board Member and Chairman of the auditing committee of Guinness Ghana Limited, and the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Shokram Company Limited.
He was the National Youth Treasurer from 2002 till 2006 when he became the National Youth Organizer of the NPP.
He was appointed Deputy Director of Communication from 2011 to 2013. He proceeded to become National Organizer in 2014 and acted as General Secretary in 2015 till he was elected into the same position in 2020.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is a Ghanaian economist. He was a Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana until his nomination as the vice presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2008.
He was President of the Ghana United Nations Students’ Association (GUNSA) in 1981. He took a First Class Honours Degree in Economics at Buckingham University in 1987.
He then obtained a master’s degree in Economics at Lincoln College, Oxford, and obtained a Ph.D. in Economics at the Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1995.
His areas of specialization include Macroeconomics, International Economics, Development Economics, and Monetary Policy.
From 1988 to 1990, Bawumia worked as a lecturer in Monetary Economics, and International Finance at the Emile Woolf College of Accountancy in London, England. He also served as an economist at the Research Department of the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC, USA.
Between 1996 and 2000, Bawumia served as an Assistant Professor of Economics in the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, USA, where he also received the Young Researcher Award in 1998.
Bawumia returned to Ghana in 2000 to work as an economist at the Bank of Ghana. He rose from Senior Economist to Head of Department, and subsequently as Special Assistant to the Governor of the Bank.
Former President John Kufuor appointed him as the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana in June 2006.
Dr. Bawumia was running mate to the NPP candidate in the 2008 elections, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Nana Addo appointed Bawumia as his running mate in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections and won.
Kwabena Agyapong
Kwabena Agyei Agyapong is a Civil Engineer and a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He played roles in the campaign of NPP presidential candidates Albert Adu Boahen in 1992, and John Kufuor in 1996.
He also played a role in Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s campaign to win the presidential nomination in 1998 but subsequently played a role in the overall party effort during the 2000 general election which was won by John Agyekum Kufuor.
He served as the press secretary to Kufuor from 2001 to 2006. Kwabena Agyapong was one of 17 aspirants who contested the party’s nomination to replace Kufuor as presidential candidate for the 2008 general election.
In 2014, Kwabena Agyapong stood for the position of General Secretary for the NPP and won.
However, he and the party’s chairman, Paul Afoko faced a lot of resistance in trying to do their duties.
Kwabena Agyapong hosted sports Programmes on GTV owned by the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.
He also worked with the Ghana Highway Authority. He also owns a civil engineering firm, Constro Consult Limited.
John Dumelo
John Dumelo is a Ghanaian actor, farmer, and politician.
He started acting in the early 1990s in a 1991 movie called ‘Baby Thief’ when he was attending Christ the King School and paid GH¢2.
Aside from being an actor of international recognition, Dumelo is an entrepreneur.
He launched his clothing line (J.Melo) in 2012. The actor is also known to be involved in both crop and animal farming.
During the National Democratic Congress (NDC) campaign in 2016, Dumelo was one of the most influential and outstanding celebrities who were seen campaigning for the government.
He contested in the NDC primaries as a parliamentary candidate in the Ayawaso West Wougon Constituency.
On December 7, 2020, he lost the parliamentary elections to the NPP’s Lydia Alhassan.
Kojo Vincent Oppong Nkrumah
He studied at the University of Cape Coast, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce.
In 2012 he graduated with an MBA in Marketing from the University of Ghana, Legon. In 2014 he was awarded a Bachelor’s degree in law (LLB) at the GIMPA Faculty of Law after two years of studies.
In 2016 he was called to the Bar as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court.
He started his career as a Treasury Analyst at British American Tobacco in 2006.
He moved on to Joy FM as a broadcast journalist, hosting the Super Morning Show after the departure of host Komla Dumor.
In 2014 Nkrumah bowed out of broadcasting to establish an investment firm, West Brownstone Capital.
By 2016, he had become a lawyer practicing at Kulendi, Attafuah, and Amponsah law.
In 2015, he contested and won the NPP parliamentary primaries for the Ofoase-Ayirebi constituency in the Eastern Region.
He won this parliamentary seat during the 2016 Ghanaian general elections.
He was the Minister for Information and the Cabinet spokesperson on the Economy.
He additionally served as a member of the Finance and Constitutional committees of the 7th Parliament of Ghana.
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah was announced as Information by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo after he won the 2020 elections.
The Overlord of the Dagbon Traditional Area, Ya Naa Abubakari Mahama II, has asked the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to run a clean and respectful campaign ahead of the 2024 general elections.
During a courtesy call with Dr Bawumia, Ya Naa Abubakari Mahama II emphasised the necessity of sustaining national unity and peace, whatever of party allegiance.
He reminded Dr Bawumia that his opponent, former President John Dramani Mahama, is also a Dagboni son with similar goals for the country’s growth.
“It’s a critical opportunity for us to demonstrate our maturity, competence, honesty, and commitment to Ghana’s progress,” Ya Naa Abubakari Mahama II said, adding, “You are my son, Dr. Bawumia, and your competitor, John Mahama, is also my son.” You’re both completely devoted to this election.”
The Overlord further emphasised that Dr Bawumia and Mr Mahama should see each other as siblings rather than adversaries.
“He is not your enemy or rival, but your elder brother,” Ya Naa Abubakari Mahama II said. “We have already won the elections as Northerners.” Whoever wins this trophy will return home.”
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is clueless about handling the economy, according to Ningo Prampram Member of Parliament Samuel Nartey George.
Unlike Dr. Bawumia, Sam Goege stated that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, Former President John Dramani Mahama, is focused on how the economy would be managed.
“We have been inundated with questions of policy and policy initiatives. John Dramani Mahama has been outlining flagship policy initiatives over the past weeks in public engagements.
“The other one, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has only one message – John Mahama! He is so pathetic and clueless in his engagements so far it explains to us all the reasons our economy under his leadership is in shambles. Bawumia is empty and spent.
“John Mahama has a clear vision and plan to #BuildTheGhanaWeWant. PS: I am open to a factual debate on the policies outlined so far. I’m uninterested in party bots seeking to earn their daily stipend,” he tweeted while reacting to the comment by Vice President Dr Bawumia to the effect that former President Mahama does not understand what it means to have a 24-hour economy.
According to Dr. Bawumia, hospitals, the Electricity Company of Ghana, the Ghana Water Company, petrol stations, and numerous chop bars are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
He urged Ghanaians to oppose Mr Mahama’s proposal.
Addressing a throng in Nalerigu on Monday, November 20 as part of his ‘Thank you’ trip after being chosen NPP flagbearer on November 4, Dr Bawumia remarked, “John Mahama says he has a new idea.” What is the concept? He claims to desire a 24-hour economy. He’s not even aware of the policy.
Today, our hospitals operate 24 hours a day, our power company operates 24 hours a day, our water company operates 24 hours a day, our gasoline stations operate 24 hours a day, and many chop bars operate 24 hours a day. Because of digitization, you may now transmit and receive money 24 hours a day, seven days a week… As a result, he doesn’t grasp his own policies. It makes no sense.
“So I want you to vote for me in 2024 because I will bring a new vision, I will bring a new policy. Mahama is the past, and Dr Bawumia is the future. If John Mahama was there, we would say we have a dumsor economy, you can’t have a 24-hour economy in dumsor. So, you want to vote for Dr Bawumia in 2024, we will take the country to new heights,” Dr Bawumia stated.
Mr Mahama stated that the 24-hour economy will provide work for all Ghanaians.
“The 24-hour economy I proposed is for jobs and more jobs,” the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) stressed.
He suggested the ’24hr Economy’ concept when he met with leaders from the country’s mother workers union on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, as part of his outreach to key stakeholders in his attempt to reclaim power.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, wants the government to settle all arrears due to nursing trainees across the country as soon as possible.
According to John Mahama, such delays generate unneeded hardship for pupils.
Mr Mahama says the government must honour its pledge to pay nursing trainee allowances to students at the Krobo Nursing Training School in the Bono Region as part of his trip.
“Nana Akufo-Addo and Bawumia have stated that they will pay the allowances.” I ask you, Nana Addo and Bawumia, if you can hear me, we here at Krobo Nursing Training School, claim you haven’t paid their allowances for two years now.”
“Let the allowance come. Wherever you are, Krobo Nursing Trainees are begging you to let their allowance come,” John Mahama appealed.
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