Former Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur dies at 67

• Posted on June 29, 2018
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Former Vice President, Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah Arthur has died at age 67.

He is said to have collapsed at the Air Force Gym in Accra Friday morning during a workout. 

He was rushed to the 37 Military Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Born on April 29, 1951, the economist, academic and politician was the sixth Vice-President of Ghana, in office from August 6, 2012 until January 7, 2017, under President John Dramani Mahama.

He previously served as the Governor of the Bank of Ghana from 2009 to 2012.

President Akufo-Addo shocked

“I have learnt with shock and great sadness the sudden death of the former Vice President of the Republic, His Excellency Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur,” President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo posted on Facebook.

He has been a longstanding public servant, who discharged his duties with dignity. The news of his death is unfortunate, since he appeared to have a lot to contribute to the public life of our country,” President Akufo-Addo added.

“My thoughts and sympathies are with his wife, children and family. I extend my deepest condolences to them, and also to the former President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, and to the National Democratic Congress, of which the former Vice President was a prominent member. Ghana has lost a fine public servant. May his soul rest in perfect peace,” President Akufo-Addo posted.

Mr Amissah-Arthur was part of the team of technocrats who managed Ghana’s structural adjustment programme in the 1980s.

He served as Chairman of Ghana International Bank Public Limited Company and was its Director from November 25, 2009.

Mr. Amissah-Arthur had a Masters degree in Economics and lectured in Economics at the University of Ghana and also at the Anambra State College of Education, Awka Anambra State, Nigeria.

Prior to becoming Vice President in 2012, he worked as a private Consultant and Economist. 

Early life and education

Amissah-Arthur was born at Cape Coast. His mother is from the Hutchful family and his father is from the Amissah-Arthur family, both from Cape Coast. He completed his secondary education at the Mfantsipim School, where he obtained the GCE Ordinary Level in 1969 and the GCE Advanced Level in 1971. He proceeded to the University of Ghana at Legon, where he obtained the B.Sc. in 1974 and M.Sc. in 1976, both in Economics.

Economics and consultancy

Amissah-Arthur was a research assistant at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research between 1974 and 1975. He later joined the Economics Department as a teaching assistant from 1977 to 1978, going on to become an assistant lecturer in 1979.

He lectured at the Department of Economics at the University of Ghana between 1980 and 1988. He has also been a lecturer at the Department of Economics, Anambra State College of Education, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria (August 1981 – July 1983).

He worked as a consultant for the World Bank in The Gambia. He also served as a consultant for the Netherlands’ government education project in Ghana. He then worked as Senior Economist for the Sigma One Corporation in Ghana between 1998 and 2000. Between 2001 and 2002, he was on assignment for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.

Politics

From 1983 to 1986, Amissah-Arthur served as a special assistant to the Secretary of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwesi Botchwey, in the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) government.

Subsequently, he was Deputy Secretary for Finance in the PNDC government from February 1986 to March 1993. From April 1993, he continued as the Deputy Minister for Finance in the Rawlings government after the establishment of constitutional rule until March 1997.

Amissah-Arthur was appointed as Governor of the Bank of Ghana in October 2009 by President JohnEvans Atta Mills. He held that position until August 6, 2012, when he became Vice-President of Ghana following the death of President Atta Mills.

Personal life

Amissah-Arthur was married to Matilda Amissah-Arthur with two children. He was a Christian and was known to worship at the Calvary Methodist Church at Adabraka in Accra.

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