Amon Nikoi

Amon Nikoi
Governor, Bank of Ghana
In office
16 March 1973 – June 1977
President Ignatius Kutu Acheampong
Preceded by J.H. Frimpong-Ansah
Succeeded by A.E.K. Ashiabor
Finance Minister
In office
September 1979 – May 1981
President Hilla Limann
Preceded by J.L.S. Abbey
Succeeded by George Benneh
Personal details
Born (1930-01-19)19 January 193019 January 1930
Accra, Gold Coast
Died 5 September 2002(2002-09-05) (aged 72)
Accra, Ghana
Spouse(s) Gloria Amon Nikoi (m. 1959)[1]
Relations
Children 3
Occupation

Amon Nikoi (19 January 1930 –† 5 September 2002) was a Ghanaian economist and diplomat.[2][3] He was the Permanent Representative of Ghana to the United Nations between 1957 and 1960 as well as the Governor of the Bank of Ghana from 16 March 1973 to June 1977.[2][4][5] He also served as the Finance minister from September 1979 to May 1981 under Hilla Limann during the Third Republic.[5][6]

Early life and education

Nikoi was born in the Accra suburb of La on 19 January 1930 to Ga-Adangbe parents.[6]

Amon Nikoi had his primary education at the Roman Catholic Jubilee Primary School in Cape Coast followed by his secondary school at Achimota School between 1945 and 1948.[5][6] He graduated from Amherst College in 1953 with a bachelor’s degree in Economics.[6] He proceeded to Harvard University as a Fellow from 1953 to 1955 for his master’s degree in Public Administration and a doctorate in Political Economy and Government. Both degrees were conferred upon Nikoi in 1956.[6]

Career

From 1957 to 1960, he worked with the Commonwealth and Foreign Service as an economic and political affairs secretary-attaché[2] at Embassy of Ghana in Washington, DC and the Permanent Representative of Ghana to the United Nations (UN).[5] In 1960, he was appointed the Alternate Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) until 1966 when he was promoted to the level of Executive Director of the IMF. He left the IMF to return to his homeland at the end of 1968. In January 1969, he became the first Director of Budget at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.[5][6] He was quickly given the portfolio of Senior Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, a position he remained in until February 1973.[5][6]

The Ghanaian government selected and confirmed him as the new Governor and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Ghana in March 1973 until his forced retirement in June 1977 by the military government, National Redemption Council (NRC) led by army general Ignatius Kutu Acheampong.[5][6]

When constitutional rule returned in 1979, the Third Republic government , People's National Party (PNP) and Hilla Limann made him Minister of Finance and Economic Planning.[6] He entered private practice as an Economic and Financial Consultant to various private sector firms and public institutions both home and abroad.[5][6] He was also the Chairman of Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC) and Grains Warehousing Company.[5][6]

In recognition of his services to Ghana in Public Administration and Banking, the government at the time, Supreme Military Council II led by military general, Fred Akuffo awarded him the State Honour of the Order of the Volta (Civil Division).[5][6]

Personal life and family

He was married to Gloria Amon Nikoi (nee Addae),[1] Ghana’s first female foreign minister.[5][6] They had three children.[5][6] His maternal uncle was the Ghanaian barrister and judge, Nii Amaa Ollennu who was elected the Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana during the Second Republic as well as serving as the Chairman of the Presidential Commission and acting President of Ghana  from 7 August 1970 to 31 August 1970.[7][8] His mother's younger brother was the diplomat and public servant, Nathan Quao. [9][10][11] His first cousins were the brothers, Nicholas and George Clerk. [12][13]

Death

Nikoi died of natural causes on 5 September 2002.[5][6]

References

  1. 1 2 Company, Johnson Publishing (1959-07-23). Jet. Johnson Publishing Company.
  2. 1 2 3 "Governors and Deputy Governors of the Bank Since its Inception". www.bog.gov.gh. Archived from the original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
  3. ↑ "Gov't informed about the death of Dr Amon Nikoi". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  4. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-11-11. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Dr Amon Nikoi, Former Governor of the Bank of Ghana". Ghanaweb.com. Archived from the original on 2016-10-27. Retrieved 2017-04-22.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Former Bank of Ghana Governor buried at La". www.ghanaweb.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-21. Retrieved 2017-04-22.
  7. ↑ "Official Web Site for the Judicial Service of the Republic of Ghana". 2005-04-14. Archived from the original on 14 April 2005. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  8. ↑ "Countries Ga-Gi". rulers.org. Archived from the original on 3 April 2007. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  9. ↑ "Nathan Quao to be given state burial on April 8". ModernGhana.com. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
  10. ↑ "Nathan Quao to be given state burial on April 8". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
  11. ↑ "Nathan Quao's life epitomises the Civil Service". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
  12. ↑ "PRESEC | ALUMINI PORTAL". 2016-11-11. Archived from the original on 11 November 2016. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
  13. ↑ "70 years of excellent secondary education" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 July 2011.
Government offices
Preceded by
J.H. Frimpong-Ansah		 Governor of Bank of Ghana
1973–1977 		Succeeded by
A.E.K. Ashiabor
Political offices
Preceded by
J.L.S Abbey		 Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning
1979-1981 		Succeeded by
George Benneh
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