John Agyekum Kufuor is a Ghanaian politician who served as the President of Ghana from 2001 to 2009. He was born on December 8, 1938, in Kumasi, Ghana. Kufuor is a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and was elected President of Ghana in December 2000, defeating the incumbent President Jerry Rawlings.
During his presidency, Kufuor implemented a number of economic reforms that helped to stabilize the Ghanaian economy and promote economic growth. He also played a key role in regional diplomacy, serving as the Chairman of the African Union from 2007 to 2008.
Prior to his presidency, Kufuor had a long and distinguished career in Ghanaian politics. He served as a Member of Parliament for the Atwima Nwabiagya constituency from 1969 to 1972, and again from 1979 to 1981. He also held several ministerial positions, including Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Trade and Industry.
Kufuor has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to Ghanaian and African politics, including the Order of the Black Star, Ghana’s highest national honor.
President John Agyekum Kufuor profile
Born: 8th December 1938
Age: 80 years
Origin: Kumasi, Ghana
Marital status: Married
Occupation: Former President of Ghana,
Famous for: liberating Ghana from the dictatorial rule and military rule. He also served as the chairperson of the African Union in 2007-2008.
Facebook: KUFUORFOUNDATION
Twitter: @akfound
Biography of President John Agyekum Kufuor
The questions ‘who is John Agyekum Kufuor’ and ’when was John Agyekum Kufuor born?’ or ‘where is John Agyekum Kufuor?’ are not so uncommon especially in Ghana. This is because John was the former President, and an influential one at that. John Agyekum Kufuor is Ghana’s former and second President. He lives in Accra. He was born on 8th December 1938 in Kumasi. He was the seventh child out of the ten children that Nana Kwadwo Agyekum gave forth. President John Agyekum Kufuor’s father was the head of the Oyoko royal family. The queen mother, his wife, was Nana Ama Dapaah. The family was part of the royal Asante ancestry. President John Agyekum Kufuor was brought up by his mother.
President John Agyekum Kufuor education
John Kufuor education is not questionable. The former President John Agyekum Kufuor went to Osei Tutu Boarding school, which is currently known as Osei Tutu Senior High School as from 1951-1953. He later enrolled at Prempeh College as from 1954 to 1958, where he scooped five awards out of the possible six that were awarded to the best students. Apart from excellence in academics, John Agyekum Kufuor also actively participated in sports.
Px President John Agyekum Kufuor then went to study Law at Lincoln’s Inn in London between the years of 1959 and 1961. In 1961 he sat his bar exam, which he passed. In 1961, he enrolled at Exeter College in Oxford, where he studied Legal studies. One year into studying law, he realized that he had a passion for politics. He made up his mind and switched to pursuing philosophy, politics, and economics instead. He completed his studies after two years.
President John Agyekum Kufuor career
In 1965, John Agyekum Kufuor’s mother talked him into going back to Ghana. By then he and his wife had two children. He complied and went back. While in Ghana, he practiced as a lawyer to earn a living. After two years of practicing as a lawyer, he was appointed to become the legal officer. He also became the city manager of Kumasi. He served at these posts for two years. During his service, he got exposed to politics which made him realize his dream. He, therefore, decided to take a new course and exclusively pursue politics.
He officially changed his career from law to politics in 1969. During this year, he got appointed as deputy minister in the Progress Party government. He served under Victor Owusu. Victor had known him since his childhood days. He also served as the Member of Parliament for Atwima Nwabiagya between 1969 and 1972 and between 1979 and 1981.
John Agyekum Kufuor also served as the Deputy Minister for foreign affairs. While giving his service to this office, Agyekum Kufuor John Kufuor got the chance to represent Ghana in significant summits and conferences. Some of them include leading Ghana’s delegation to the United Nations General Assembly. This event took place in New York City. He also represented Ghana in the Organization of African Unity (OAU) meeting which took place in Addis Ababa. Apart from that, he also took part in the Ghanaian delegation to Moscow during the Soviet Union meetings that took place in Prague, Belgrade. These meetings aimed to discuss Ghana’s obligation to the Soviet Union.
During his service as spokesman on Foreign Affairs, he concurrently served as the Deputy Opposition Leader for the Popular Front Party (PFP), during the third republic. He also got an invitation to attend the OAU Summit conferences alongside President Limann. The summit took place in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Apart from that, he was also a member of the parliamentary delegation that went to the United States on talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. The discussions focused on the economic problems that Ghana faced. The Ex President John Agyekum Kufuor also served as the secretary for local government. In this post, he took part in writing Policy Guidelines that formed the basis for the current decentralized District Assemblies.
While serving office, Agyekum Kufuor John Kufuor actively participated in politics and vied for a couple of posts. In 1996, April, he got nominated with over 1000 out of the 2000 delegates, from the 200 constituencies, to run for the Presidential seat. These delegates were from the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor spent less than nine months campaigning. Elections took place on 10th December, and John Kufuor managed 39.62% of the total votes. He lost to Jerry Rawlings who garnered 57%.
Losing the 1996 polls did not mean that that was the end of the road for Agyekum Kufuor John Kufuor. He was again nominated in 23rd October 1998 to run for the presidency under the New Patriotic Party. He earned the seat as the chairperson of the party. Come 7th December 2000, Kufuor Agyekum John Kufuor won the elections with 48.4% against John Atta-Mills who had earlier on served as Vice-President during the reign of Jerry Rawlings. Since none of them had attained more than 50% of the total number of votes cast, a re-run took place on the 28th of December. This time around, John Kufuor scooped 56.9% of the total votes. He got sworn in on the 7th of January 2001. This was the first time that the incumbent government gave in office peaceably to the opposition.
During his first term, President John Kufuor’s government aim was to stabilize the country’s economy which by then had deteriorated. He made it part of his five priority areas programme whose objective was attaining; good governance, modernization of agriculture for rural development, private sector participation, enhanced social services and active infrastructure development.
In pursuit of economic stabilization, President John Kufuor’s government received financial aids, the most in the history of Ghana, because of the image that the previous military government had painted. Apart from relying on donations from other countries, he also had a policy that would help reclaim the economy of Ghana. This strategy is known as economic diplomacy. Economic diplomacy policy worked so well in Ghana that it was adopted in other countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau, to mention but a few. It is through the use of this policy that peace was reclaimed inmost of these countries.
On the aspect of the trade, John Kufuor’s government suggested the implementation of a fair and equitable economic and social order. The execution was through bilateral and multilateral talks. All these were in the best interests of Ghana as a country. Due to the image he portrayed as a statesman, an able spokesman, and democrat, he got invitations to conferences that later led to the formation of the African Union, (AU). He also attended meetings on the; G8 Summits in Sea Island, Georgia, and Gleneagles, Scotland, and the World Economic Forum. His free and bold qualities earned him the seat of the chairperson at the regional grouping of ECOWAS. Here, he served for two terms; in 2003 and 2004.
For the four years that Agyekum Kufuor John Kufuor had served as President, there was a noticeable change in the economy of Ghana as well as improved relations between Ghana and its neighbors. This development earned him a second term. His inauguration took place on 7th January 2005.
During his second term in office, Agyekum Kufuor John Kufuor realized the potential Ghana had towards economic growth. He, therefore, worked to see it grow. This time around, he used another approach; the three-pronged approach. The approach focused on; private-sector development, human resource development, and good governance. Internationally, Kufuor united Ghana. The strategy earned him the title; peace broker and beacon of democracy. Through him, Ghana was the first country to undergo peer review under NEPAD’s Africa Peer Review Mechanism.
All the efforts that John Agyekum Kufuor put in for Ghana and Africa at large could not go unnoticed. In 2007 he got elected as the Chairperson of the African Union. He diligently served the African Union in 2007-2008. After prudently serving his term as chairperson of the AU, Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania succeeded him.
When he got out of office as President, John Kufuor’s efforts and the name had grown even beyond Africa. He became a member of the SNV Netherlands Development Organization International Advisory Board whose aim is poverty reduction. He shared his ideology on the significance of effective development assistance and the impact it has had on Ghana. He shared the ideology during a Dutch government event that was attended by more than 2000 people. He also managed to give a lecture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The talk was a prestigious Legatum Pericles lecture. To add to this, John Agyekum Kufuor is also the Governing Council Chairman of Interpeace. Interpeace is a peace-building organization that has been in existence since 2009. It is internationally based and has its headquarters in Geneva.
In 2011, John Agyekum Kufuor received an award for his exemplary leadership and commitment. He was given the World Food Prize, alongside the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The two earned the award for their efforts towards curbing hunger and poverty in their countries.
On 20th September, Ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor launched the John Agyekum Kufuor (JAK) Foundation at the University of Ghana. In attendance were some of the Ex-Presidents from Africa and Germany. During the launching of JAK, the Ex-Presidents also unveiled a commemoration for the Kufuor Presidential Library and Museum. The two are at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
John Agyekum Kufuor family
President John Agyekum Kufuor parents
John Agyekum Kufuor was the seventh child to Nana Kwadwo Agyekum and Nana Ama Dapaah. He is the seventh child among ten of John Kufuor siblings. John Kufuor’s father was the head of the Oyoko royal family while his mother was the Queen mother. His parents belonged to the Asante Royal lineage.
President John Agyekum Kufuor wife
Apart from politics and leadership, President John Agyekum Kufuor is a loving husband. The name of President John Agyekum Kufuor wife is Theresa Kufuor, whom he married in 1962. John Agyekum Kufuor met the former first lady, Mrs. Theresa Mensah in 1962. By then he was in Oxford, and Mrs. Theresa Mensah had gone to study nursing in England. The two got married.
The former first lady is a retired midwife and nurse. Theresa Kufuor studied at the Catholic Convent at the Volta Region. She later went on to further her studies at the Southern Hospital Group of Nursing in Scotland, where she studied as a Registered General Nurse. Then enrolled at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford and later at the Paddington General Hospital in London, after which she qualified as a State Certified Midwife. She also graduated with a Certificate in Premature Nursing.
Apart from practicing as a nurse, Mrs. Theresa Kufuor has also been influential in politics in Ghana. She pushed for changes in the education sector in Ghana. The reforms were after the implementation of the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) for kindergarten children by UNESCO. She is also the founder of the Mother and Child Community Development Foundation (MCCDF). The area of focus of the non-governmental organization is to ensure good health to mothers and children. The non-governmental organization operates in Ghana and Canada. John Agyekum Kufuor wife and husband have five children.
President John Agyekum Kufuor children
John Agyekum Kufuor wife and her husband have five kids. The names of the kids are; J. Addo Kufuor, Nana Ama Gyamfi, Saah Kufuor, Agyekum Kufuor and Owusu Afriyie Kufuor. President John Agyekum Kufuor and his wife are loving grandparents to eight grandchildren. Former President John Agyekum Kufuor and family are members of the Roman Catholic Church.
President John Agyekum Kufuor awards
Good deeds will always be appreciated. Ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor’s work has made him earn many awards among them;
- Leadership and Governance Award in 2016
- Chatham House Prize in 2008
- Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath awarded by Queen Elizabeth the II
- Honorary Doctorate from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana
- World Federation of Honorary Consuls’ Order of the Gold Star in 2008
- Honorary Fellow, Exeter College, Oxford University, and John Moore University
- Highest award of the Order of the House of Orange by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands
From the few of his awards mentioned above, it is clear that the former President was a great achiever. He excelled both academically and career wise.
Pictures of John Agyekum Kufuor
At 80, John Agyekum Kufuor age does not betray him. The Ex- President John Agyekum Kufuor does not look like it. Who would believe that that is John Kufuor age? Check out some of the pictures of the energetic man that still has enough agility to offer more of his talent and abilities to the world.
Rawlings apologizes to Kufuor
Ex-President Kufuor accepts the apology of Ex-President Rawlings for having termed him as evil. In a delegation, Rawlings called Kufuor evil and referred to Ex-President Mahama as rogue. He went further to claim that the two destroyed the country and that he was willing to go to hell if the two would make it to heaven. Later on, in an apology, Rawlings retracted his statement.While accepting the apology, Kufuor debunked all claims that had been made against him by the former President Rawlings. This goes to show that Kufuor is indeed a noble leader.
Kufuor feels like a seer for a decade long decision
Thanks to his decision almost 10 years back, Vodafone ranks a close second in the telecom industry of Ghana, just after MTN. This is because of the good decision the former President made in his term in office. He says that the continued great performance shows that governments after him are still effecting his decisions. It is no wonder that he has defended this decision several times over.
Looking at all the achievements of John Agyekum Kufuor, it is easy to see why he made a great President. His influence continues to be felt to date.
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