Kwame Addo-Kufuor

Hon.
Kwame Addo-Kufuor
Member of Parliament
for Manhyia
In office
7 January 1997  7 January 2009
Succeeded by Mathew Opoku Prempeh
Minister of the Interior
In office
2008–2009
President John Kufuor
Preceded by Kwamena Bartels
Succeeded by Cletus Avoka
Minister for Defence
In office
January 2001  2008
President John Kufuor
Personal details
Born July 14, 1940
Kumasi, Ghana
Nationality Ghana Ghanaian
Political party New Patriotic Party
Relations John Kufuor - brother
Profession Medical doctor
Religion Christian

Doctor Kwame Addo-Kufuor (born 14 July 1940) is a Ghanaian politician and physician. Addo-Kufuor is a member of parliament from Manhyia, and from 2001 to 2007 he was the Minister for Defense under President John Kufuor, his brother. Between June 2008 and 2009, he was Minister for Interior.

Early life and education

Addo-Kufuor was born in Kumasi, Ashanti Region. He is an alumnus of Achimota School. He subsequently attended University College Hospital Medical School in London, graduating with a degree in medicine from the University of Cambridge in 1970. Addo-Kufuor obtained his post-graduate degree from Middlesex Medical School Hospital in 1975.

Political career

Addo-Kufuor has held many positions both in and outside of the government, including as a part-time lecturer at the University of Ghana Medical School, Member of National Council of the New Patriotic Party as well as serving on numerous committees within parliament concerning health. When his brother John Kufuor became President in January 2001, Addo-Kufuor was appointed Minister of Defense.

Addo-Kufuor resigned as Defense Minister in July 2007 so that he could seek the presidential nomination of the New Patriotic Party for the 2008 election.[1] At the party congress in December 2007, in which the NPP chose its candidate, he received only 0.96% of delegates's votes (22 votes); Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was elected as the party's candidate.[2]

Addo-Kufuor has served as the Chairman of the Security Committee of the NPP's campaign team for the 2008 election. After being nominated as Minister of the Interior, he was approved by Parliament on June 11, 2008, despite objections from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that his post in the NPP campaign was incompatible with being Interior Minister, arguing that he would not act fairly due to partisanship. The NDC wanted him to resign from his campaign post prior to the approval of the nomination, but Majority Leader Abraham Ossei Aidooh assured the MPs that Addo-Kufuor would address the concerns by resigning from his campaign post after the approval of the nomination.[3]

References

  1. Fred Tettey Alarti-Amoako and Sabina Sekyere, "Colourful Send off for Addo-Kufuor", The Statesman (Ghana), August 17, 2007.
  2. "Nana Addo Is NPP’s Man", Modernghana.com, December 24, 2007.
  3. Cynthia Boakye, "House approves Addo-Kufuor, Owusu Ankomah, Mensah-Bonsu", The Statesman (Ghana), June 12, 2008.

External links

Parliament of Ghana
Preceded by
William Kwaku Asante
Member of Parliament for Manhyia
1997 2009
Succeeded by
Mathew Opoku Prempeh
Political offices
Preceded by
Colonel Enoch K.T. Donkoh
Minister for Defence
2001 2007
Succeeded by
Albert Kan Dapaah
Preceded by
Kwamena Bartels
Minister for Interior
2008 2009
Succeeded by
Cletus Avoka