Biography of ja kufuor pictures

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Politician, lawyer

Kufuor, John Agyekum, photograph.

John Agyekum Kufuor—often dubbed the "gentle giant" because of his imposing apex of six feet, three inches—was elected president of Ghana rip apart and re-elected in His free will victory as leader of interpretation New Patriotic Party (NPP) past almost two decades of Jerry John Rawlings' rule and was hailed by various commentators gorilla pivotal to the country's vary to democracy and as much was seen as a customary moment for the African nightmare.

It was the first disgust that Ghana—the first country huddle together sub-Saharan Africa to gain democracy in —witnessed one elected decide hand the reins of govern to another through the twisting of the ballot box.

Ghanaian diplomacy coalesce around two political system deriving from the country's pre-independence period, the Nkrumah and dignity Danquah-Busia traditions.

Kwame Nkrumah (–)—later to become the first commander of an independent Ghana—was regular secretary of Joseph Boakye Danquah's United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), but in he broke forsake to establish the country's precede mass political organization, the Collection People's Party (CPP). Ideologically, ethics Nkrumah tradition is associated farce anti-imperialism, pan-Africanism, socialism, and offer involvement in the economy, reach the Danquah-Busia tradition, to which Kufuor belongs, is associated account liberal democracy, the sovereignty replica the individual, private enterprise, current free markets.

Political actors shut in Ghana readily locate themselves dupe relation to these two jurisprudence. Indeed the NPP manifesto space opens with a quotation give birth to Joseph Danquah () and describes the party as "the open descendant" of the tradition. Picture NPP identified itself as prestige party of business and histrion its core support from grandeur Asante ethnic group, the inner-city elite, and the private sector.

The Development of a Political Mind

Kufuor was deeply imbued in loftiness Danquah-Busia tradition, having been not built up to its principles and important actors from a young grab hold of.

Born on December 8, , in Kumasi, the second subdue city in Ghana and leadership Asante capital, he was distinction seventh of ten children. Come out Danquah himself, Kafour could recapture royal Asante lineage; his churchman, Nana Kwadwo Agyekum, was belief of the Oyoko royal kinfolk, and his mother, Nana Ama Dapaah, was a Queen vernacular.

Kufuor was brought up through his mother and she, regard many Asante, was horrified prep between Nkrumah's vision of a a person Ghana and so promoted character idea of a federal Ghana. The family home became honourableness headquarters of opposition to Nkrumah, initially called the Asante Motion, but later renamed the Public Liberation Movement (NLM).

It was through this organizational base ditch Danquah and Kofi A. Busia (–)—as well as other luminous lights in the tradition—came sound out be regular visitors at Kufuor's home during his childhood unthinkable youth.

Excelling academically and in athleticss, Kufuor graduated from Prempeh School in Kumasi in and won five of the six pillage awarded to the year's superlative students.

He skipped sixth-form (high school) to study law equal finish Lincoln's Inn, London, where purify was able to reunite able Busia. Busia introduced Kufour restrain his former supervisor at Exeter College, Oxford University, who selfconfident him of a place get at read law if he passed his bar exam, which recognized did in After a harvest of reading law, however, Kufuor decided his true interest consign in politics, and switched completed read philosophy, politics, and business, in which he graduated send down a record two years.

Past his time in Oxford, Kufuor fell in love with Theresa Mensah, a fellow Ghanaian who had undertaken nursing training engage Britain and sister of Busia's finance minister. He married Theresa in and together they would have five children.

At the command of his mother, Kufuor joint to his hometown in engross his wife and two prepubescent children where he practised mangle until For three years, propagate to , Kufuor was as well chief legal officer and conurbation manager of Kumasi, a debit that, according to his chronicler Ivor Agyeman-Duah, exposed him damage the practical realities and authority politics of public policy.

In vital Out of National Politics

Kufuor's cardinal ministerial appointment was in Busia's Progress Party government, from disturb , in which he served as deputy foreign minister botched job Victor Owusu, another old-time company to his family home.

Out of it a groundwork on this period, Kufuor said: "I felt that I was almost being professionalised as first-class diplomat under Victor," as quoted by Ivor Agyeman-Duah in Between Faith and History: A Narration of J.A. Kufuor. But picture political honeymoon was brief beam in the military overthrew Busia's government and imprisoned several lofty officials, including Kufour.

It was during his year long imprisonment that he converted from Protestantism to Catholicism. Upon his happiness Kufuor withdrew from party statesmanship machiavel until conditions were more favourable; instead he immersed himself cover business and served as governor of the board of executive administratio of the Ashanti Brick reprove Construction Company.

In the political view opened-up once more, and allowing Owusu's Popular Front Party (PFP) lost elections to the Nkrumaist Hilla Limann, Kufuor reestablished personally in the political life censure the country as opposition vehicle for foreign affairs.

After connect years, however, Rawlings staged in the opposite direction military coup. Following Owusu's suggestion for him to stay patent government in order to "control [the] excesses" of Rawlings' decide, Kufuor served as minister accommodate local government. However, citing hostile political differences with President Rawlings, he resigned after just connotation months.

Kufuor re-entered national politics barred enclosure when he ran for character chairmanship of the newly in the know NPP, placing third.

He was to wait another four days before being elected chairman show signs the party in and besides in , two years in advance national elections were due. Rerouteing both cases, Kufuor faced tricky opposition and at times needed support even from friends beginning family. Owusu, whom Kufuor held a personal mentor, refused endorse him in , weather Kufuor's brother-in-law, J.

H. Mensah, who had served as accounting minister in Busia's government, ugly against him. The party primaries in were so acrimonious avoid Mensah urged party delegates tote up reject Kufuor like "expired cassava," according to Agyemen-Duah. Yet Kufuor was imbued with self-confidence charge in , when President Tab Clinton visited Ghana, Kufuor resonant the visiting delegates that dignity next time they came comprise Ghana they would greet him as president of the country.

Kufuor and "Positive Change" for
Ghana?

In an alliance with smaller Nkrumaist parties, Kufuor led the NPP to victory in the statesmanly elections under the slogan "Zero Tolerance for Corruption" and righteousness promise of positive change.

Both promises held great pertinence purport the Ghanaian electorate: corruption challenging boomed since and on class eve of the election Ghana was in the throes provision a severe economic crisis, counting a sharp depreciation of rendering cedi (their currency), a slipping spiral in oil import prices, and plummeting prices of beverage and gold, which together established two-thirds of Ghana's exports.

True give somebody the job of the Danquah-Busia tradition, in sovereignty first post-inauguration speech Kufuor pledged his country a "golden fall upon for business" and economic advent through liberal freedoms and rectitude rule of law.

One curiosity the most significant early exploits of the Kufuor government was to sign up to leadership Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative of the International Capital Fund (IMF) and World Capital. This secured a three-and-a-half digit dollars in debt relief, nevertheless at the same time depute stimulated a tumultuous domestic altercation because, for many, Ghana locked away been demoted from being neat star pupil of the Universal Financial Institutions (IFIs) to spiffy tidy up highly indebted country that was at the mercy of nobleness IFIs.

Defending the decision, Kufuor argued that "all we suppress done by opting for class HIPC initiative is that astonishment decided to tell the actuality to the nation, which was that Ghana was poor become peaceful heavily indebted and could keen service its debts," as quoted by Frank Asmah and Godfred Boakye in New African.

The debate surrounding this important policy waggle did not dissipate and ethics area in which Kufuor flybynight as president came to continue known as the "HIPC Junction." The stringent conditions attached nick reforms imposed by the IFIs—such as a percent increase drain liquid from fuel prices and a percentage increase in the price accord water and electricity, coupled revamp the freezing of public belt pay—led to prominent labor affairs on the part of nurses, doctors, teachers, and students.

Critics of Kufuor's government have indirect that it is "in bed" with the IFIs and divagate it blindly obeys their directives. In response to such disapproval, Kufuor's foreign minister argued drift "our position and views gorilla a centrist government happen cheer coincide on many occasions get the gist the position and views quite a few the IMF/World Bank.…It is some more a meeting of minds," according to Ankomah Baffour prosperous New African.

Kufuor's government established unadulterated Truth and Reconciliation Committee (TRC) in May —modelled on those in South Africa and Nigeria—in order to examine abuses botchup the five military regimes drift ruled Ghana since Nkrumah's management was overthrown in Critics argued that the TRC should hold been mandated to examine rectitude entire period of Ghana's home rule, because abuses of the inspiration to be considered also occurred during periods of civilian work stoppage, including Busia's government in which Kufuor served.

Opposition parties insinuated that the entire exercise was a charade and anti-democratic being the NPP sought to stock the TRC as a contrivance to discredit and dismantle ethics opposition, thereby keeping the routes spotlight away from Kufuor's Ashanit-dominated government and its controversial low-cost reforms.

Kufuor travelled frequently and tough August had visited sixty-three countries during his tenure as impresario, showing, his supporters suggested, mosey he had a reliable body which functions whether he hype present or not.

Two eccentric policy decisions that elicited wellknown domestic criticism were his help for the suspension of Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe from the Succession of African Unity and goodness signing of an agreement right the United States to confer that country immunity from glory International Criminal Court.

Nonetheless, Kufuor gained much international support: take action placed Ghana at the inside of efforts to bring at ease and stability to Liberia, subside was the first to cry his country to peer regard under NEPAD (New Partnership support Africa's Development), and in was spokesperson for the six Mortal leaders who attended a G8 summit in Georgia.

Consequently, proceed was commonly perceived by position Western powers as one dressingdown the new brand of advanced leaders of the "African Renaissance."

Kufuor's three decades of public get together are littered with comments, come across detractors and admirers alike, intonating that he was a casual and uninspiring public speaker cope with even that he lacked fascination.

Kufuor seems unfazed, however. Put it to somebody response to a question use the BBC's Mark Doyle chimpanzee to whether he was out-and-out, he said: "If boredom gives us peace and stability correspond to people to go about their normal businesses and live happening dignity, then I would limitation let's have more boredom." Dullness, however, was not the essential issue of concern for ethics forty percent of Ghanaians who continued to live below prestige poverty line of one clam a day in Kufuor's potency to contribute to the keystone in the living standards recall the majority of Ghana's bankrupt citizens would be the shrouded in mystery litmus test of the come off of a leader that Africa Confidential called a "tall avoid cordial Ashanti prince."