Kofi Asante Ofori-Atta

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Ghana Parliament
for Abuakwa Central
In office
1954 – February 1965
Preceded byJ. B. Danquah
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
Personal details
Born(1912-12-12)12 December 1912
Educator
  • Lawyer

    • Aaron Eugene Kofi Asante Ofori-Atta,

    MP (12 December 1912 – July 1978) was a Ghanaian educator, lawyer and politician who served as the fourth Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana.[1]

    Early life and education

    He was born on 12 December 1912 at

    Kyebi, Akyem Abuakwa and was a member of the Ofori-Atta royal family. After attending Presbyterian elementary school, he entered Mfantsipim School in 1925 and later left in 1928 to join Achimota College where he completed his secondary education in 1933. He served in various capacities at the Abuakwa State College and was made the school's Vice Principal and later Principal from 1944 to 1947. Later in 1947, he left for Ireland and entered Trinity College Dublin where he obtained his B.A degree in law and a diploma in public administration.[1]

    Career

    Ofori-Atta was elected MP for Abuakwa Central and Begoro Constituencies. He first entered parliament house in 1954 and was appointed Minister for Communication from 1954 to 1956.[2] He beat a relative, J. B. Danquah, member of the Ghana Congress Party and a founding member of the defunct United Gold Coast Convention to the Akim Abuakwa Central seat.[3] He was a Minister for Local Government in the Convention People's Party (CPP) government of Kwame Nkrumah in the first government of Ghana.[4] He also served as the Minister for Justice in the same government.[5]

    He was later appointed Speaker of Parliament on 10 June 1965 in the First Republic of Ghana.[6] He remained speaker until parliament was suspended by the National Liberation Council, formed after the coup d'état that ended the First Republic. Ofori-Atta is the uncle of Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana.[5]

    Death

    Ofori-Atta died at the 37 Military Hospital in July 1978 in Accra.[7]

    Political offices
    Preceded by
    First
    		 Minister for Local Government[4]
    1957 – 65     		Succeeded by
    Preceded by Minister for Justice
    1962 – 62     		Succeeded by
    Preceded by
    First
    		 Minister for Communication
    1954 – 56     		Succeeded by
    Preceded by Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana
    1965 – 66[6]     		Succeeded by
    Nii Amaa Ollennu
    (1969 – 72)

    References

    1. ^ a b Ernest Nee Pobee Sowah, Report of the Sowah Commission..., Volume 2, Ministry of Information, Ghana, 1968, p. 23.
    2. ^ "Ghana bar bulletin". Google Books. Ghana Bar Association: 111. 1988. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
    3. ^ Dokosi, Michael (10 June 2018). "The electoral victories and shock losses of the 1954 Gold Coast election". BlakkPepper. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
    4. ^ a b "1957 Govt. of Ghana". GhanaWeb. Archived from the original on 22 April 2007. Retrieved 28 April 2007.
    5. ^ a b Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. "HOMAGE TO THE MEMORY OF OSAGYEFUO KUNTUNKUNUNKU II, OKYENHENE". Prempeh College alumni. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2007.
    6. ^ a b "Rt. Hon. Ebenezer Sekyi Hughes:Speakers of Parliament from 1951 – 2005". Parliament of Ghana. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2007.
    7. ^ Ghana Year Book, Graphic Corporation, Ghana, 1978.


    Flag of GhanaPolitician icon

    This article about a Ghanaian politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kofi_Asante_Ofori-Atta&oldid=1203009511"