Komla Agbeli Gbedemah

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Komla Agbeli Gbedemah
Minister for Finance
In office
1954 – May 1961
Succeeded by Ferdinand Koblavi Dra Goka
In office
1969 – 1969
Born June 17, 1912
Died September 8, 1998 (aged 86)
Nationality Flag of Ghana Ghanaian
Political party Convention People's Party
(1947-1961)
National Alliance of Liberals-1969

Komla Agbeli Gbedemah (June 17, 1912 - ca. September 8, 1998) was a Ghanaian politician. He was also the Minister for Finance in the Nkrumah government from 1954 to 1961. He was popularly called "Afro Gbede".[1]

Contents

[edit] Political career

Komla Gbedemah was originally with the United Gold Coast Convention. He left with Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to form the Convention People's Party (CPP). Gbedemah was an important member of the CPP because of his organizational ability.[2] He was influential in getting Nkrumah elected to the Legislative Council on February 8, 1951. He organized Nkrumah's entire campaign while he (Nkrumah) was still in prison, detained by the colonial government. Nkrumah duly won the Accra Central Municipal seat. This led to Nkrumah being released and his being invited to form a government.[3] Gbedemah who himself got elected into the Legislative Assembly, became the first Ghanaian minister for Health and Labour in Nkrumah's government. In 1954, he became the Finance minister, a position he held for 7 years. He was influential in getting an initially reluctant US government to back the building of the Akosombo Dam.[4] Later as his relationship with Nkrumah deteroriated, Gbedemah was demoted by him to Health minister in May 1961.[4] It is alleged by US sources that at a point, Gbedemah was considering the overthrow of Nkrumah. He is quoted as saying ``I would be sorry to have to do it but country has had enough of Nkrumah's arrogance, whims and madness." Nkrumah demanded Gbedemah's resignation in September 1961.[4] Gbedemah was forced into exile later the same year, after worsening relations between him and Nkrumah over what he perceived to be Nkrumah's financial indiscipline.[5][6] He is alleged to have fled as there were plans to place him under preventive detention. While in exile, he is known to have continued to lobby the US over the Akosombo dam project.[4]

Gbedemah formed and led the National Alliance of Liberals into the 1969 general election. His campaign slogan "Say it loud, I am black and proud!" was taken from the popular James Brown tune.[1] After the election, Gbedemah was barred from taking his seat in parliament. This followed a Supreme Court ruling, upholding the NLC barring members of the CPP accused of financial crimes from holding public office for ten years. This decision led him to retire from active involvement in politics.[7]

[edit] Howard Johnson's restaurant incident

In the United States, he is most widely known from an October 10, 1957, incident when U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower apologized to him after he was refused service in a Howard Johnson's restaurant in Dover, Delaware.[8] He reportedly told the staff "The people here are of a lower social status than I am but they can drink here and we can't. You can keep the orange juice and the change, but this is not the last you have heard of this."[9]

[edit] Positions

For ministerial positions, see succession box.

  • Leader - People's Movement for Freedom and Justice (1991 - ?)
  • Founder and Leader - National Alliance of Liberals - (1969)
  • Member - Legislative Assembly, Ghana (1951 - ?)
  • Manager and Editor - Accra Evening News (1949 - ?)
  • Vice Chairman - Convention People's Party (1949 - ?)

[edit] Works

  • Gbedemah, K. A. It will not be "work and happiness for all"; an open letter being also an appeal to Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and comment on and criticism of the proposed new 7 year Ghana development plan. [n.p.], 1962. [32p].[10]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b Duodu, Cameron. "Say it loud!", Guardian Unlimited, Guardian News and Media, December 27, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-04-30. 
  2. ^ Professional Bodies (other than legal) and Civil Society groups (pdf) (October 2004). Retrieved on 2007-04-30.
  3. ^ Profiles:Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah (Founder and First Pres. of Ghana). Official website of the Office of the President of Ghana. Ghana government. Retrieved on 2007-04-14.
  4. ^ a b c d Foreign Relations, 1961-1963, Africa. United States Department of State. Retrieved on 2007-04-30.
  5. ^ "Friday's Child", Free Archive, 12 September 1969. Retrieved on 2007-04-30. 
  6. ^ Thayer Watkins. Political and Economic History of Ghana. San José State University. Retrieved on 2007-04-30. “Komla Gbedemah was founder of the CPP and an able administrator. He objected Nkrumah's lack of financial discipline and soon found himself dismissed from the government by Nkrumah in a radio broadcast at dawn in April of 1961.”
  7. ^ The National Liberation Council and the Busia Years. Ghana Home Page. Retrieved on 2007-04-30.
  8. ^ "From Segregation to Breakfast", Time, 21 October 1957. Retrieved on 2007-04-14. 
  9. ^ Thayer Watkins. The Volta River Project in Ghana, West Africa. San José State University. Retrieved on 2007-04-30.
  10. ^ Ivor Wilks-Phyllis Ferguson Collection of Material on Ghana. Cooperative Africana Microform Project (CAMP). Center for Research Libraries. Retrieved on 2007-04-30.



Political offices
Preceded by
?		 Minister for Health and Labour
(Gold Coast)
1951		 Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
?		 Minister for Commerce and Industry
(Gold Coast)
1952 – 1954		 Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
?		 Minister for Finance
(Gold Coast then Ghana since 1957)
1954 – 1961		 Succeeded by
Ferdinand Koblavi Dra Goka
Preceded by
?		 Minister for Health
1961		 Succeeded by
?
Party political offices
New title Founder and Leader
National Alliance of Liberals
1969		 Succeeded by
?
Persondata
NAME Gbedemah, Komla Agbeli
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Politician and former finance minister of Ghana.
DATE OF BIRTH June 17, 1912
PLACE OF BIRTH
DATE OF DEATH September 8, 1998
PLACE OF DEATH
Languages