4 NDC men we dare not forget
It was in the year 2001. President Kufuor had just taken office. In a pathetic display of naivety, I wrote in the newspapers suggesting to the new President to invite Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, an immediate past Minister of State, to serve in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government as a minister.
Kwesi had been simply splendid as a Minister in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government and I thought the new President should allow Ghana to benefit from his experience.
As far as I was concerned, it was Ghana first. I was booed.
Today, in January 2025, as NDC takes over the reins of government, I have another set of public servants I want to recommend for possible appointments, perhaps as consultants.
It wouldn’t be the first time. Kufuor, under the Great Alliance, appointed Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom and Professor George Hagan to ministerial positions, and they didn’t disappoint.
Prof. Hagan turned out to be arguably the most resourceful Chairman of the National Commission on Culture, attracting resources from the European Union for the Cultural Improvement Support Programme and a new Cultural Policy.
Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu
On top of my current list of top-performers in the outgone NPP government sits Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, perhaps the finest Member of Parliament to emerge after J.H. Mensah.
As Majority Leader, this man rocked. Dealing with the Minority and the Speaker, he came across as a student of Machiavelli. On his feet, he was not only a thinker but also a student of English, articulating his views with a mastery of logic and language.
Though a Public Planner by training, every Ghanaian thought he read Law. Indeed, in the House, he floored and slayed lawyers.
He spoke as if he slept with copies of the 1992 Constitution and the Parliamentary Standing Orders under his pillow; so knowledgeable! Even the dreaded Bagbin reached for a handkerchief when Kyei Mensah picked on him.
Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu was the leader the eighth Parliament missed.
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah
And now, will the real Kojo Oppong Nkrumah rise and take a bow?
As a Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah’s performance should be a page in a P.R. textbook. He proved that while eloquence was a must-have for PR, research, preparation and strategy were the key.
By the time the media called, even at 6am, Kojo had had a deep and thorough session with the President or the relevant minister, so he could confidently field questions about any ministry, project or presidential engagement.
You simply could not help but admire how he handled the COVID-19 communication, lining up relevant experts and drawing up programmes to enable them to break down tough issues.
Suave but not dirty.
Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye
Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye loves his bow tie. For a medical practitioner, it made him a shade too colourful.
That, however, took nothing away from him as a super-efficient public servant with a vision. As CEO of National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), he brought stability in the efficient management of health insurance scheme — without noise.
Two qualities tick the box of personal character. He was the epitome of humility. Better than that, no word of insult to his worst enemy ever escaped his lips in all the years he spoke on radio as a politician
Akwasi Agyemang
Will Mr Akwasi Agyemang stand up and be counted? He has been CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority from 2017 but, more than any CEO before him, he caused Ghanaians to love to travel within Ghana. Before him, in 2015, the Ghana Statistical Service had stated that “Ghanaians don’t travel for leisure”. Akwasi changed that.
Few, or none, will talk about his tenure without reference to Year of Return and December in GH, but today, I invite Ghanaians to meet Akwasi Agyemang, managing two of the vital resources in the hands of any administrator – human and financial.
Staff don’t remember that he always smiled and everybody knows that he would not spare the administrative ‘rod’ on underperformers but I testify to his fairness to all; he gave every staff a chance to try new skills in other departments.
In a politically divided Ghana, what qualifies Akwasi to be included in this honours list is that he doesn’t measure the worth of any employee by their party affiliation, nor does he think himself better than those before him.
Julius Debrah
Imagine an NPP appointee calling his NDC predecessors to pick a leaf or two out of their pages. This list includes Julius Debrah, John Mahama’s newly minted Chief of Staff. He was one time CEO of GTA.
Under his watch, both the President and even ministers of Finance spoke of tourism with a gleam in their eyes.
The argument is often raised that Akwasi inherited a pot of money (the one per cent Tourism Levy) and that if previous executive directors had been similarly endowed, they would have achieved same level of success, if not more.
What they failed to include in their assessment was Akwasi’s private sector daredevil approach. That spelled success.
The writer is Executive Director,
Centre for Communication and Culture.
E-mail: ashonenimil@gmail.com