Kwamena Ahwoi

Kwamena Ahwoi (born 13 October 1951)[1][2] is a Ghanaian academic and 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.

Kwamena Ahwoi
Minister for Planning and Regional Economic Co-operation and Integration
In office January 2000 – January 2001
President	Jerry Rawlings
Preceded by	New Ministry
Succeeded by	Kofi Konadu Apraku
22nd Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ghana)
In office April 1997 – December 1997
President	Jerry Rawlings
Preceded by	Obed Asamoah
Succeeded by	James Victor Gbeho
Minister for Local Government and Rural Development
In office March 1993 – January 2000
President	Jerry Rawlings
Preceded by	William Yeboah
Succeeded by	Cecilia Johnson
Personal details
Born	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

Early life and education

He was born on Saturday 13 October 1951 at South Suntreso, Kumasi. He has eight siblings, among them is Kwasi Ahwoi and Ato Ahwoi.[3] He has two brothers and five sisters. He is a Fante Sefwi and the fourth child of eight children. His mother died in January 2020 at the age of 97 but his father died when he was still a young boy.[4]

He had his upbringing in Kumasi. He pursued his 'O level' at the Okuapemang Secondary School at Akropong Akuapem. He later continued to Opoku Ware School where 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.[5]

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.[6]

Career

He became a full-time lecturer at the University of Ghana in the faculty of law from 1982 to 1993. In 31 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.[4] After spending time in politics he went back into academia, he is currently a lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, a tertiary institution in Ghana.[7] Ahwoi is a Governance Professor at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) School of Governance and Leadership.[8]

Politics

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 4 June revolution.[4] Obed Asamoah

From 1982 to 1987, he managed the Judicial, and Quasal arms of the 4 June 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'.[5]

In the mid-1980s, he served as Director of the Office of Revenue Commissioners, Investigations and Tribunals. between 1982 to 1988[9]

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 2, 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. In 2005, he resigned as director of research for the NDC.[10]

Author

As an academic and a knowledgeable politician Ahwoi has written four books in relation to local governance, decentralisation and history in Ghana's politics.[11][8]

Books

• Decentralisation in Ghana: A Collection of Essays[11]
• Enhancing the Decentralisation Programme: District Assemblies and Sub-structures as Partners in Governance [9]

• Local Government and Decentralization in Ghana[12]
• Working with Rawlings[13][14][15]

Personal life

He is married with 4 children.[9]

Notes and references

1. Ahwoi, Kwamena (2000). Enhancing the Decentralisation Programme: District Assemblies and Sub-structures as Partners in Governance. Institute of Economic Affairs. ISBN 9789988584245. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
2. "Index Ah-Al".
3. "Kwamena Ahwoi writes about his working relationship with Rawlings". Graphic Online. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
4. "Footprints with Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi". Citi Tube. 1 August 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
5. "Footprints with Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi". Citi Tube. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
6. "Kwamena Ahwoi Minister, Ministry of Local Governance and Rural Development, Ghana". Innovations for Successful Societies. Princeton University. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
7. "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.
8. ABK (2 November 2017). "Professor Kwamena Ahwoi Immortalise Knowledge Into Book". News Ghana. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
9. Ahwoi, Kwamena (1 January 2000). "Enhancing The Decentralisation Programme: District Assemblies And Sub-Structures As Partners In Governance". Africa Portal. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
10. "Kwamena Ahwoi Quits NDC?". General News of Thursday, 22 September 2005. Ghana Home Page. Retrieved 17 April 2007.
11. francis (2 November 2017). "Ghana's Authoritative Book on Decentralisation launched". Ghana Business News. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
12. Ahwoi, Kwamena (2010). Local government & decentralisation in Ghana. Accra: Unimax Macmillan. ISBN 978-9988-0-4493-0. OCLC 649703833.
13. "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.
14. "WORKING WITH RAWLINGS". Retrieved 5 August 2020.
15. "Dan Abodakpi disputes claims in Ahwoi's book 'Working with Rawlings' - Graphic Online". www.graphic.com.gh. Retrieved 5 August 2020.

External links

• Enhancing the Decentralisation Programme: District Assemblies and Sub-structures as Partners in Governance.pdf

See also

• Kwesi Ahwoi
• Ato Ahwoi