Joseph Henry Smith
| Lt Gen Joseph Henry Smith | |
|---|---|
| Minister for Defence | |
| In office Feb 2009 – Feb 2013 | |
| President | John Atta Mills |
| Preceded by | Albert Kan Dapaah |
| Succeeded by | Mark Owen Woyongo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 9, 1945 Takoradi, Ghana |
| Nationality | Ghanaian |
| Political party | National Democratic Congress |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | Achimota School |
| Profession | Soldier |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Volta |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Ghana |
| Service/branch | Ghana Army |
| Years of service | 1965 – 2001 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Commands | Chief of Army Staff |
Lieutenant General Joseph Henry Smith (born 9 January 1945) was the Minister for Defence of Ghana during the Late President Attah Mills' term of Office - 2009 to 2012. He is also a former Chief of Army Staff of the Ghana Army.
Early life and education
Joseph Smith studied at the Achimota School in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana between 1959 and 1963 where he successfully completed the West African School Certificate. He enrolled as an officer cadet at the Ghana Military Academy.
Military career
Lt. General Smith was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in October 1965 with the Ghana Army Engineer Corps. He rose through the years and became the Commandant of the Military Academy and Training School at Teshie, Accra in 1993. From 1993 to 1996, he was the Commander of the Second Infantry Brigade Group (now known as the Northern Command) with headquarters at Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. While in this position, he was appointed Special Task Force Commander to restore law and order in Northern Ghana between January and September 1994 during the Konkomba and Nanumba conflict.[1] In 1996, Smith served as the Company Commander of the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) in Egypt. Following this, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Ghana Army in 1996 by President Jerry Rawlings. He held this position till 2001.
Other work
After leaving the army, Lt Gen Smith worked as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Insurance Commission before going into politics in 2009.
Politics
In February 2009, Lt. Gen. Smith was appointed Minister for Defence by President John Atta Mills, a position he held till 2012.
After John Dramani Mahama became the President of Ghana following the death of John Attah Mills, Mahama was the automatic Presidential Candidate for the NDC in the 2012 Ghana General Elections - he successfully contested and won the 2012 General Elections and was sworn in as President of Ghana on January 7th, 2013.
President John Dramani Mahama has since replaced Lt. Gen Smith with Hon. Mark Owen Woyongo as the Minister for Defence.
In 2014 Smith was named the Ghanaian ambassador to the United States of America, making his children, specifically Abdallah, overcome with joy to be able to spend mass amounts of time in New York City with friends.
Family
Smith is twice married. He has 3 children from his first marriage and 2 from his current marriage. He has no contact with the children from his first relationship.
Honours
Smith was awarded the Companion of the Order of the Volta, one of Ghana's highest awards in 2001.
References
- ↑ "Ghana's political scene, as seen by the Economist - Tensions rise in the north". Home news (The StatesmanOnline). 2007-05-11. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Major General Ben Akafia |
Chief of Army Staff Ghana 1996 – 2001 |
Succeeded by Major General Clayton Yaachie |