Happy birthday to Ghana’s Former President John Agyekum Kuffuor. Former president of Ghana John Agyekum Kuffuor turns 83 today the 8th of December. Born in 1938, John Agyekum Kufuor was the second President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana (2001-2009) and the Chairperson of the African Union (2007–
2008).
A liberal-democrat, Kufuor’s tenure was a change from the conservative in government to a more progressive administration. He was
a minister in Kofi Abrefa Busia ‘s Progress Party government
during Ghana’s Second Republic , and a Popular Front Party
opposition frontbencher during the Third Republic .
Early life
He was born and raised in Kumasi and educated at Osei Tutu Boys college between 1951–
1954. He carried on to Prempeh College in 1954, Lincoln’s Inn , London in
1959 and Exeter College , University of Oxford in 1961-1964.
His illustrious career includes being the chairman once for Kumasi Asante Kotoko Footbal Club.
Political career
As a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs he led Ghana’s delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Organization of African Unity (now AU) Ministerial Meetings in Addis Ababa, and the Summit Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement in Lusaka.
On 23 October 1998, he was nominated by the New Patriotic Party to run for President and also to officially assume the position of Leader of the Party.
Kufuor won the presidential election of December 2000 and the rest is history.
His achievements
John Agyekeum Kuffuor started the National Health Insurance Scheme to replace the cash and carry system which existed. He set up the
National Ambulance Service and built over 205 hospitals and clinics. His tenure witnessed the setting up of a state of the art emergency centre at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. Kufuor also set up althe visionary maternal health care scheme in public hospitals for all expectant mothers.
He institutionalised the national school feeding programme. In finance, he set up the Microfinance and small loans program
(MASLOC) – a US$50million fund that makes micro loans
available to the productive population.
Happy birthday Former President John Agyekum Kufuor. Forever a true and visionary statesman.
