Why Kwame Addo-Kufuor described Akufo-Addo as a ‘seasoned appointee’ in his 2015 book

In his book, Gold Coast Boy (A Memoir), Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor described the sitting President of Ghana as a ‘seasoned appointee’ under the John Agyekum Kufuor administration.

Speaking about some of the appointees who made up the first cabinet of his brother’s government, the former Minister of Defence wrote about why he believed Akufo-Addo was a seasoned appointee.

Among the reasons, Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor stated that Nana Akufo-Addo had trained a number of lawyers who had risen to very reputable positions in the country, including the office of the Attorney General of Ghana.

“Another seasoned appointee was Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. He was given the portfolio of the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General. He had been educated at Lancing College, Sussex, England; the University of Ghana; and the Inns of Court School of Law, London. Called to the Ghana Bar in July 1975, he co-founded the Akufo-Addo, Prempeh and Co. law firm and was its senior partner.

“This reputable Chamber had trained many of the country’s contemporary lawyers, a number of whom had become justices of the court, attorney-generals, and more. A past President of the Greater Accra Branch of the Ghana Bar Association, Nana Akufo-Addo was the Director of the Human Rights Commission in Ghana, which last defended many journalists in court,” he wrote.

Dr. Addo-Kufuor also explained that having worked with Akufo-Addo for so long, he had grown to admire him for how thorough he was in his attempt at political leadership.

He recalled some of the things that Nana Akufo-Addo had done ahead of his attempts to become the political leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

“At the time of writing, Nana Akufo-Addo had been elected leader and flagbearer of the party for the 2016 elections. Having sat next to each other in the cabinet for seven years, a few words about him would be in order. In parliament, our seats were never too far from each other. When he emerged the leader of the party in his first contest in the primaries in 2007, I as a contestant, was not completely surprised.

“Unlike many of us in the contest, he had been deeply involved in political activity from many years before entering parliament in 1997. He, therefore, had had great exposure. His campaign machine was elaborate and well-resourced and had many experienced and loyal supporters.

“So far as his oratorical skills are concerned, he had no equal in the party. He, obviously, had taken a long time to prepare himself for political leadership, and he reaped the harvest with the time came,” he added.

Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor also described the first cabinet of John Agyekum Kufuor as one with a high calibre of persons, whom he said the people of Ghana were lucky to have had.

Some of these appointees were Alhaji Aliu Mahama as vice president, J H Mensah as Senior Minister, Nana Akufo-Addo as Minister of Justice and Attorney General, and later Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yaw Osafo-Maafo as Minister of Finance, Albert Kan-Dapaah as energy minister; and Hackman Owusu-Agyeman.

Others were Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Dr. Richard Anane, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, Pro. Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi and Kwadwo Baah Wiredu.

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