John Kufuor

Infobox President
name = John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor

---

order = President of Ghana
term_start = 07 January 2001
term_end =
vicepresident = Aliu Mahama
predecessor = Jerry Rawlings
successor =
birth_date = birth date and age |1938|12|08|df=y
birth_place = Kumasi, Ashanti, Ghana
death_place =
spouse = Theresa Mensah
party = NPP
constituency =
religion = Roman Catholic
profession = Political scientist

John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor (born December 8, 1938) is the current president of Ghana, since January 7 2001. He ran for election in 2000 and won, succeeding Jerry Rawlings, who defeated him when he previously ran for President in the election in 1996; Kufuor's victory marked the first peaceful democratic transition of power in Ghana since the country's independence was declared. Kufuor was also the Chairperson of the African Union from 2007 to 2008.

Biography

Early life and background

A member of the Akan people, Kufuor is married to Theresa Kufuor (née Mensah), with whom he has had five children. Kufuor and his family belong to the Roman Catholic Church. He was born in Kumasi and educated at Osei Tutu Boarding School (1951-53), Prempeh College (1954-58), Lincoln's Inn, London (1959-1961) and Exeter College, University of Oxford (1961-1964). In the Second Republic's Parliamentary Register Kufuor lists as his hobbies and interests table tennis, reading, football, and film shows.

Early political career

As Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs he represented Ghana on a number of occasions. From 1969 to December, 1971, he led Ghana's delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Ministerial Meetings in Addis Ababa, and the Summit Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement in Lusaka. In 1970, he led the Ghanaian delegation to Moscow in the former Soviet Union, Prague (Former Czechoslovakia), and Belgrade (Yugoslavia) to discuss Ghana's indebtedness to these countries.

As the Spokesman on Foreign Affairs and Deputy Opposition Leader of the Popular Front Party (PFP) Parliamentary Group during the Third Republic, he was invited to accompany President Limann to the OAU Summit Conference in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He was also a member of the parliamentary delegation that visited the United States of America (USA) in 1981 to talk to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank on Ghana's economic problems.

In January, 1982, the leadership of the All People's Party (APP), which was an alliance of all the opposition parties, advised some leading members, including the Deputy Leader of the Alliance, Alhaji Iddrisu Mahama, the General Secretary, Dr. Obed Asamoah and Mr. J. A. Kufuor to accept an invitation from the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) to serve in what was purported to be a National Government. Kufuor was appointed the Secretary for Local Government in this new government.

As a Secretary for Local Government, he wrote the Local Government Policy Guidelines that were to be the foundation of the current decentralized District Assemblies.

Presidency

On April 20, 1996, Kufuor was nominated by 1034 out of 2000 delegates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) drawn from all the 200 Constituencies of the Country to run for the President of Ghana on December 10, 1996. After campaigning for less than nine months, Kufuor polled 39.62% of the popular votes to Rawlings' 57% in the 1996 election. On October 23, 1998, he was re-nominated by the New Patriotic Party not only to run again for President but also to officially assume the position of Leader of the Party.

Kufuor won the presidential election of December 2000; in the first round, held on December 7, Kufuor came in first place with 48.4%, while John Atta-Mills, Jerry Rawlings' Vice President, came in second with 44.8%, forcing the two into a run-off vote. In the second round, held on December 28, Kufour was victorious, taking 56.9% of the vote.

Kufuor was re-elected in presidential and parliamentary elections held on December 7 2004, earning 52.45% of the popular vote in the first round and thus avoiding a run-off, while at the same time Kufuor's party, the New Patriotic Party, was able to secure more seats in the Parliament of Ghana. [http://africanelections.tripod.com/gh.html]

On January 29 2007, Kufuor was elected as the Chairperson of the African Union for the 2007-2008 AU session. He was succeeded by Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania on January 31 2008. [ [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=nw20080131190230675C327837 "Kikwete is new AU chairman"] , Reuters ("IOL"), January 31, 2008.]

Kufuor was involved in a car crash on November 14 2007, in which another car collided with his and caused it to roll over several times. Kufuor was reported to be uninjured. [ [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=86&art_id=nw20071114151854122C185913 "Ghana's president involved in a car crash"] , Reuters ("IOL"), November 14, 2007.]

Cabinets

First Cabinet (Jan 2001)

*John Agyekum Kufuor — President of Ghana
*Hon. Aliu Mahama — Vice President of Ghana
*Prof. Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi — Minister of Education Replaced later by;
*Mr. Kwadwo Baah Wiredu— Minister of Education, Youth & Sports
*Mrs. Cecilia Bannerman — Minister for Manpower Development & Employment
*Mr. Albert Kan-Dapaah — Minister for Communication
*Mrs. Gladys Asmah — Ministry for Women & Children's Affairs
*Hon. Yaw Osafo-Marfo — Minister for Finance
*Mr. Jacob Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey — Minister of Information
*Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor — Minister of Defense & Later Acting Minister for the Interior
*Madam Hawa Yakubu — Minister for Tourism
*Hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu — Ministry for Local Government & Rural Development Replaced later by;
*Mr. Charles Bintim — Ministry for Local Government & Rural Development
*Hon. Hackman Owusu-Agyeman — Minister for Foreign Affairs Replaced later by;
*Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo — Minister for Foreign Affairs
*Major (Rtd) Courage Emmanuel Kobla Quashigah — Minister of Food & Agriculture
*Hon. Richard W. Anane — Minister of Health
*Prof. Mike Oquaye — Minister for Environment and Science
*Hon. Kwamina Bartels — Minister for Private Sector Development & PSI
*Hon. Dr. Richard Winfred Anane — Minister for Road Transport
*Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi — Minister for Habours & Railways
*Mr. Alan Kyeremanten — Minister for Trade and Industry
*Hon. Malik Al-Hassan Yakubu — Minister for the Interior Replaced later by;
*Hon. Hackman Owusu-Agyeman — Minister for the Interior
*Mr. Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo — Attorney-General & Minister for Justice Replaced later by;
* Hon. Papa Owusu Ankomah — Minister of Foreign Affairs
*Alhaji Mallam Issah — Minister of Youth & Sports Replaced later by;
*Hon. Papa Owusu Ankomah — Minister of Youth & Sports Replaced later by;
*Hon. Osei Kwaku — Minister of Youth & Sports
*Hon. Albert Kan-Dapaah — Minister for Energy replaced later by;
*Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom — Minister for Energy
*Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom — Minister for Economic Planning & NEPAD
*Hon. Felix Owusu Agyapong — Minister for Parliamentary Affairs
*Miss Elizabeth Ohene — Minister of State in Charge of Tertiary Education
*Miss Christine Churcher — Minister of State in Charge of Primary, Secondary & Girl-Child Education

Second Cabinet (Jan 2005)

*John Agyekum Kufuor — President of Ghana
*Hon. Aliu Mahama — Vice President of Ghana
*Hon. Yaw Osafo-Maafo — Minister of Education and Sports
*Hon. Joseph K. Adda — Minister for Manpower, Youth & Development
*Hon. Kan-Dapaah — Minister for Communication & Technology
*Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom — Minister of Energy Replaced later by;
*Hon. Mike Oquaye — Minister of Energy
*Hajia Alima Mahama — Ministry for Women & Children's Affairs
*Hon. Kwadwo Baah Wiredu — Minister for Finance & Economic Planning
*Mr. Dan Botwe — Minister of Information
*Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor — Minister of Defense
*Mr Jacob Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey — Minister for Tourism & Modernization of Capital City
*Mr. Charles Bintim — Ministry for Local Government & Rural Rural Development
*Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo — Minister for Foreign Affairs and NEPAD
*Mrs. Gladys Asmah — Minister for Fisheries
*Mr. Ernest Akobuor Debrah — Minister of Agriculture and Food
*Major (Rtd) Courage Emmanuel Kobla Quashigah — Minister of Health
*Ms Christine Churcher — Minister for Environment and Science
*Hon. Kwamina Bartels — Minister for Private Sector Development & PSI
*Hon. Dr. Richard Winfred Anane — Minister for Road Transport
*Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi — Minister for Habours & Railways
*Mr. Alan Kyeremanten — Minister for Trade and Industry
*Mr. Papa Owusu Ankomah — Minister for the Interior
*Mr. Prof. Mike Oquaye — Attorney-General & Minister for Justice
*Hon. Felix Owusu-Agyapong — Minister for Parliamentary Affairs
*Miss Elizabeth Ohene — Minister of State in Charge of Tertiary Education

Third Cabinet (2006)

*John Agyekum Kufuor — President of Ghana
*Hon. Aliu Mahama — Vice President of Ghana
*Hon. Papa Owusu Ankama — Minister of Education, Science and Sports
*Hon. Joseph K. Adda — Minister for Manpower, Youth & Employment
*Prof. Mike Oquaye — Minister for Communication
*Hajia Alima Mahama — Ministry for Women & Children's Affairs
*Hon. Kwadwo Baah Wiredu — Minister for Finance & Economic Planning
*Mr. Kwamina Bartels — Minister for Information and National Orientation
*Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor — Minister of Defense
*Mr Jacob Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey — Minister for Tourism & Diaporan Relations
*Mr. Asamoah Boateng — Ministry for Local Government, Rural Development & Environment
*Dr. Patrick Moore — Minister of Mining and Minerals
*Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo — Minister for Foreign Affairs and NEPAD
*Mrs. Gladys Asmah — Minister for Fisheries
*Mr. Ernest Akobuor Debrah — Minister of Food & Agriculture
*Major (Rtd) Courage Emmanuel Kobla Quashigah — Minister of Health
*Hon. Dr. Richard Winfred Anane — Minister for Transportation (Later Resigned)
*Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi — Minister for Ports, Habours & Railways
*Mr. Alan Kyeremanten — Minister for Trade and Industry, Private Sector Development & PSI
*Mr. Albert Kan-Dapaah — Minister for the Interior
*Mr. Joe Ghartey — Attorney-General & Minister for Justice
*Hon. Felix Owusu Agyapong — Minister for Parliamentary Affairs & Acting Minister for Transportation
*Mr. Francis Poku — Minister for National Security
*Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani — Minister for Presidential Affairs
*Hon. S.K. Boafo — Minister of State in Charge of Culture & Chieftancy Affairs
*Miss Elizabeth Ohene — Minister of State at the Presidency

References

ee also

*List of national leaders
*List of Ghana Heads of state by age
*Kufuor government
*Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-IV), 2008.

External links

* [http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=153_1208691830 President of Ghana Speaks at Ahmadiyya Muslim Caliphate Centenary Convention]
* [http://www.ghana.gov.gh/ Official Website of the Government of Ghana]
* [http://www.ghanacastle.gov.gh/ Official website of the Office of the President of Ghana]