Kwesi Amissah-Arthur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kwesi Amissah-Arthur
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Amissah-Arthur in 2014
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| Vice-President of Ghana | |
| In office 6 August 2012 – 7 January 2017 |
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| President | John Dramani Mahama |
| Preceded by | John Dramani Mahama |
| Succeeded by | Mahamudu Bawumia |
| 12th Governor of Bank of Ghana | |
| In office 1 October 2009 – 6 August 2012 |
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| President | John Atta Mills |
| Preceded by | Paul A. Acquah |
| Deputy Minister for Finance | |
| In office April 1993 – March 1997 |
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| President | Jerry Rawlings |
| Deputy Secretary for Finance and Economic Planning | |
| In office February 1986 – March 1993 |
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| President | Jerry Rawlings |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William Edmund Davidson Amissah-Arthur
29 April 1951 Cape Coast, Gold Coast |
| Died | 29 June 2018 (aged 67) Accra, Ghana |
| Nationality | Ghanaian |
| Political party | National Democratic Congress |
| Spouse | Matilda Amissah-Arthur |
| Children | Kwesi Nyan Amissah-Arthur Araba Amissah-Arthur |
| Residences | Accra, Ghana |
| Alma mater |
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| Occupation |
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Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, born William Edmund Davidson Amissah-Arthur (29 April 1951 – 29 June 2018), was an important Ghanaian economist and politician. He served as the fifth Vice-President of Ghana for the country's Fourth Republic. He held this high office from 6 August 2012 to 7 January 2017, working alongside President John Dramani Mahama. Before becoming Vice-President, he was the Governor of the Bank of Ghana from 2009 to 2012.
President John Dramani Mahama chose Amissah-Arthur to be his Vice-President shortly after President John Atta Mills passed away suddenly on 24 July 2012. After being reviewed by the Parliament of Ghana, he was officially sworn in as Vice-President on 6 August 2012.
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Early Life and Education
Kwesi Amissah-Arthur was born in Cape Coast, Ghana, on 29 April 1951. At that time, Cape Coast was part of the British Gold Coast Colony. His mother, Effie Amissah-Arthur, came from the Hutchful family. His father, Jabesh Richmond P. Amissah-Arthur, was a teacher who led the Oda Secondary School for many years. Both of his parents' families were from Cape Coast and belonged to the Fante ethnic group. Kwesi Amissah-Arthur had five brothers and sisters.
He went to Aboom Methodist 'B' Primary School in Cape Coast. In 1964, he passed his Common Entrance examination from Akim Oda Methodist School. He then attended Mfantsipim School for his secondary education. There, he earned his GCE Ordinary Level in 1969 and his GCE Advanced Level in 1971. After Mfantsipim, he studied at the University of Ghana in Legon. He earned his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Economics in 1974 and his Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in Economics in 1976.
Career in Public Service
Amissah-Arthur started his career as a research assistant at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research from 1974 to 1975. He then became a teaching assistant and later an assistant lecturer in the Economics Department at the University of Ghana. He taught economics there from 1980 to 1988. He also taught at the Department of Economics, Anambra State College of Education, in Nigeria, for two years.
From 1983 to 1986, Amissah-Arthur worked as a special assistant to the Secretary of Finance and Economic Planning, Kwesi Botchwey. This was during the Provisional National Defense Council government. He then became the Deputy Secretary for Finance from 1986 to 1993. When Ghana became a constitutional republic, he continued as the Deputy Minister for Finance in the Rawlings government until 1997. He also served on the board of the Bank for Housing and Construction.
After leaving public service in 1997, he became a consultant in finance and economics. He worked for the World Bank in The Gambia and for the Netherlands' government on an education project in Ghana. He was also a Senior Economist for Sigma One Corporation in Ghana and worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.
Governor of the Bank of Ghana
In October 2009, President John Atta Mills appointed Amissah-Arthur as the Governor of the Bank of Ghana. The Bank of Ghana is like the country's central bank. Its job is to help the national economy grow, keep the value of Ghana's money stable, and set money policies for the country. He held this important position until 6 August 2012.
Vice President of Ghana
After President John Atta Mills passed away, the Vice President at the time, John Dramani Mahama, became the new President. President Mahama then chose Kwesi Amissah-Arthur to be his Vice President. Amissah-Arthur was sworn in on 6 August 2012, after being approved by the Parliament of Ghana.
When John Dramani Mahama ran for president in the 2012 elections, he chose Amissah-Arthur as his running mate. They won the election with 50.7% of the votes. This meant Amissah-Arthur became the Vice President-Elect. They were both sworn into office on 7 January 2013.
Personal Life
Kwesi Amissah-Arthur was married to Matilda Amissah-Arthur. They had two children: a son named Kwesi, who is an eye doctor and academic, and a daughter named Araba, who is a lawyer. He was a Christian and attended the Calvary Methodist Church in Accra. He loved sports, especially football and tennis. He was also a big fan and shareholder of the football club, the Accra Hearts of Oak S.C..
Death and Funeral
Kwesi Amissah-Arthur passed away on 29 June 2018. He reportedly collapsed at the Air Force Gym during his morning workout. He was taken to the 37 Military Hospital but could not be saved.
A special state funeral was held for him on 27 July 2018 at the Accra International Conference Centre. Many important people attended. After the service, his body was taken by a military procession to the new Military Cemetery at Burma Camp. There, he was laid to rest with a military ceremony, including the playing of the Last Post and a 19-gun salute.
Legacy and Memorial
To honor Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, the Ghanaian government renamed the Moree Senior High School as Amissah-Arthur Senior High School, Moree. A learning center in the Volta Region, which includes a library and a computer complex, was also named after him. On the first anniversary of his death, his family helped set up a special scholarship for doctoral students and a research position at the Department of Economics at the University of Ghana, in his memory.
See also
- List of Mahama government ministers
- National Democratic Congress
