Former Bank of Ghana Governor buried at La

Burial took place at the La Cemetery in Accra on Saturday of Dr. Amon Nikoi, former Governor of the Bank of Ghana. Earlier a burial service was held at the Accra Ridge Church, which was attended by dignitaries that included President John Agyekum Kufuor, his wife Theresah, Ministers of State, relatives, friends and sympathisers.

President Kufuor and his wife on arrival filed past the body in a coffin on a raised dais and exchanged greetings with the bereaved family and the widow, Mrs Gloria Nikoi and her children. The Reverend (Mrs) Ernestina Afriyie of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and the immediate Co-ordinating Chaplain of the Church, in a sermon said God gave everyone a talent to be used for the welfare of mankind.

She said the talent was to be used at an opportune time and to the ability of the individual not for selfish gains or only to enrich himself but to be used to improve the welfare of society and mankind. The late Dr Nikoi, 72, died on Thursday, September 5, after a short illness. Born on January 19 1930 at La, Accra, Dr Nikoi was educated at the Roman Catholic Jubilee Primary School at Cape Coast and then Achimota School from 1945-48.

He continued his education at the Amherst College in USA where he obtained a Bsc in Economics in 1953, a Fellow of Harvard University, USA 1953-55 and Honorary M.A. Amherst in 1963.

Dr Nikoi continued his academic and intellectual pursuits at Harvard University, where he obtained a Master's degree in Public Administration and a PhD in Political Economy and Government simultaneously in 1956.

He became a member of the Ghana Commonwealth and Foreign Service from 1957-1960 and was posted to the Ghana Embassy in Washington to become the Permanent Representative of Ghana to the United Nations (UN). From 1960-1966, Dr Nikoi was made the Alternate Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and between 1966-1968 became the Executive Director of the IMF.

In 1969, Dr Nikoi returned to Ghana to assume office as the first Director of Budget at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and later was appointed Senior Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Finance between 6 January 1969-February 1973.

On 1 March 1973, he was appointed Governor and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Ghana and within the same period was the Chairman of Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC) and Chairman, Grains Warehousing Company.

He was retired in 1977 as the Governor of the Central Bank by the National Redemption Council (NRC) under the late General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong. In 1979, Dr Nikoi was decorated with the State Honour of the Order of the Volta (Civil Division) for public service in Public Administration and Banking by the SMC II under General F.W.K. Akuffo.

During the Third Republic, under Dr. Hilla Limann and the People's National Party (PNP), Dr Nikoi was appointed Minister of Finance and Economic Planning. After his retirement, he worked as an Economic and Financial Consultant until his death. He left behind a widow, Mrs Gloria Nikoi, three children and two grand children.