Kwamena Ahwoi

Kwamena Ahwoi (born 13 October 1951)[1][2] is a Ghanaian politician, who served as Minister for Local Government and Rural Development from 1990 to 2001 in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, during the reign of Jerry Rawlings. He also briefly served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1997, and was acting minister in that department during much of the 1990s. In 2005, he resigned as director of research for the NDC.[3]

Kwamena Ahwoi
Minister for Planning and Regional Economic Co-operation and Integration
In office 1997 – Jan 2001
President	Jerry Rawlings
Preceded by	New Ministry
Succeeded by	Kofi Konadu Apraku
22nd Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ghana)
In office 1997–1997
President	Jerry Rawlings
Preceded by	Obed Asamoah
Succeeded by	James Victor Gbeho
Minister for Local Government and Rural Development
In office 1993–1997
President	Jerry Rawlings
Preceded by	William Yeboah
Succeeded by	Cecilia Johnson
Personal details
Born	(1951-10-13) 13 October 1951 Winneba, Ghana
Nationality	Ghanaian
Political party	National Democratic Congress
Relations	Kwesi Ahwoi, Ato Ahwoi
Alma mater	University of Oxford
Profession	Academic, Lawyer

Background

He was born on Saturday 13 October 1951 at South Suntreso, Kumasi. He has eight siblings, among them is Kwasi Ahwoi and Ato Ahwoi.[4] He has two brothers and five sisters. He is a Fante Sefwi and the fourth child of eight children. His mother died in April 2020 at the age of 97 but his father died when he was still a young boy.[5]

He had his upbringing in Kumasi. He pursued his 'O level' at the Okuapemang Secondary School at Okropong Akuapem. He later continued to Opoku Ware were he formed a political party called the Student Action Front to contest as a dining hall prefect. In Okuapemang Secondary School, the school prefects were appointed were as in Opoku Ware Secondary School, the prefects were elected.[6]

From 1971 to 1974, Prof. Ahwoi was enrolled at the faculty of law at the University of Ghana. He studied Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) on a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University as his post-graduate course in 1975.[7]

Career

He became a full-time lecturer at the University of Ghana in the faculty of law from 1982 to 1993. In 31st December,1981, he was moderating a new year class in Legon when Jerry John Rawlings asked him to report to the Gonda Barracks of the Ghana armed Forces join the PNDC.[5]

Between January and August 1982, he acted as the special aid to Chairman Jerry John Rawlings and his first major assignment was to join a delegation and negotiate with President Shehu Shagari of Nigeria to restore oil supply to Ghana. President Shehu Shagari had truncated oil supplies to Ghana in protest of the June 4th revolution.[5]

From 1982 to 1987, he managed the Judicial, and Quasal arms of the June 4th Revolution. Being among 27 people selected to develop a roadmap for development as the country was preparing to move into its Fourth Republic. They developed the District Political Authority and Modalities for District Level Election which was popularly called the 'Blue Book'.[6]

In the mid-1980s, he served as Director of the Office of Revenue Commissioners, Investigations and Tribunals.

He was Secretary for Local Government and Rural Development and also acted as the acting secretary for Foreign Affairs during the PNDC regime. During his term in the office of foreign affairs, he attempted to unify the NDC with the National Reform Party in 1999, and he sent troops to join the Nigerian-led ECOMOG in quelling the Sierra Leone Civil War after a coup in 1997. After the NDC lost in the election of 2000, Ahwoi was critical of the new New Patriotic Party government, and worked to reduce factionalism in the NDC.

He is a now a lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, a tertiary institution in Ghana.[8]

Books

• Local Government and Decentralization in Ghana[9]
• Working with Rawlings[10][11][12]

Notes and references

1. Profile of Kwamena Ahwoi
2. "Index Ah-Al".
3. "Kwamena Ahwoi Quits NDC?". General News of Thursday, 22 September 2005. Ghana Home Page. Retrieved 17 April 2007.
4. "Kwamena Ahwoi writes about his working relationship with Rawlings". Graphic Online. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
5. "Footprints with Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi". Citi Tube. 1 August 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
6. "Footprints with Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi". Citi Tube. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
7. "Kwamena Ahwoi Minister, Ministry of Local Governance and Rural Development, Ghana". Innovations for Successful Societies. Princeton University. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
8. "Empower District Offices of CHRAJ - Ahwoi". Official Local Government website. Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development & Environment, & Maks Publications & Media Services. Retrieved 17 April 2007.
9. Ahwoi, Kwamena (2010). Local government & decentralisation in Ghana. Accra: Unimax Macmillan. ISBN 978-9988-0-4493-0. OCLC 649703833.
10. "If 'Working with Rawlings' book is to destroy former president's legacy, you're wasting your time – Dan Abodakpi to Ahwoi". MyJoyOnline.com. 2 August 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
11. "WORKING WITH RAWLINGS". Retrieved 5 August 2020.
12. "Dan Abodakpi disputes claims in Ahwoi's book 'Working with Rawlings' - Graphic Online". www.graphic.com.gh. Retrieved 5 August 2020.

• "Kwamena Ahwoi Quits Position". Africa News. (2005) AllAfrica, Inc. 23 September 2005
• "Ahwoi troubles Reform". Africa News (1999) AllAfrica, Inc. 21 December 1999

See also

• Kwesi Ahwoi

Political offices
Preceded by William H. Yeboah	Minister for Local Government and Rural Development 1993 – 97	Succeeded by Cecilia Johnson
Preceded by Dr. Obed Asamoah	Foreign Minister (acting)^1 1997	Succeeded by James Victor Gbeho
New title	Minister for Planning and Regional Economic Co-operation and Integration ? – 2001	Succeeded by Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku