Stephen Allen Dzirasa

Reverend Stephen Allen Kodjoe Dzirasa was a Ghanaian educationist, priest and politician. He was a teacher prior to being ordained as a Methodist minister. He was a minister of state in the first republic. He served as Ghana's resident minister in Guinea and also deputy minister for Foreign Affairs.[4] He was a member of parliament representing the Upper Tongu electoral district and later representing the Battor constituency.

Stephen Allen Dzirasa
Resident Minister in Guinea
In office
July 1960 – 1962
PresidentDr. Kwame Nkrumah
Preceded byJ. H. Allassani
Succeeded byKweku Budu-Acquah[1]
Member of Parliament
for Battor[2]
In office
1965 – February 1966
Preceded byNew
Succeeded byConstituency Abolished
Member of Parliament
for Upper Tongu[3]
In office
June 1954 – 1965
Preceded byNew
Succeeded bySamuel Awuku Okudzeto
Personal details
Born
Stephen Allen Kodjoe Dzirasa

(1918-07-23)July 23, 1918
Tongu, Volta Region
CitizenshipGhanaian

Early life and education

Dzirasa was born on July 23, 1918 in the Tongu district of the Volta Region to Doefe and Andrews Torgbemu Dzirasa. At a very young age his parents separated and he was moved by his mother to Kpong where he lived with his maternal grandfather, Awittor. His father was allowed to bring him to his side when he was eight years old and from there he begun his early education. In 1926 he attended Aveime Salem; a Methodist School that was situated in the village.[5] He continued his education at the Presbyterian Boarding School at Ada Foa and later Trinity College in Kumasi.[6]

Career and politics

Dzirasa worked on his father's farm as a herdsman when he was young, driving his father's cattle out for food everyday. He also learned fishing, farming, and petty trading from his father and uncle.[5] After schooling, Dzirasa was employed at U. T. C as an assistant storekeeper.[6] After working for sometime as a teacher, he was ordained into the Methodist Ministry in 1951.[7] He was consequently appointed second Assistant Synod Secretary from 1952 to 1954.[6]

He was chairman of the Lower Tongu Local Council and in 1953 and appointed member of the Van Lare Commission.[6] He was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for Upper Tongu in June 1954.[7][8] In July 1960 he was appointed Resident Minister to Guinea[6] and in December 1962 he was made deputy minister for Foreign Affairs (ministerial secretary).[9] He served in this capacity until the overthrow of the Nkrumah government in February 1966.[6]

Personal life

Dzirasa was the last born of four children of his mother and the only child of his mother born to his father.[5]

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References
  1. "Ghana Year Book". Graphic Corporation. 1963: 17. Retrieved February 2, 2020. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. "Ghana Year Book". Graphic Corporation. 1966: 24. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. "Ghana Year Book". Graphic Corporation. 1960: 11. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. "Ghana Year Book". Graphic Corporation. 1959: 20. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. Dzirasa, Stephen (1962). Political Thoughts of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Ghana Press. p. 109.
  6. "Ghana Year Book". Daily Graphic: 141. 1956.
  7. White paper on the Report of the Second report of the Jiagge Commission of Enquiry into the Assets of Specified Persons (Report). Ministry if Information. 1969.
  8. "Ghana Year Book". Graphic Corporation. 1961: 15. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. "Ghana Year Book". Graphic Corporation. 1963: 19. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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