Emmanuel Kobla Bensah

Bensah was born on 26 March 1912 at Woe, a town in the Volta Region. He had his early education at Bremen Mission Schools at Anloga and Keta where he received his standard 7 certificate in 1928. In 1930 he sat for the Common Gold Coast Entrance Examination for training as a nurse pharmacist and passed.[2][3]

Upon passing his examination he was employed at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. There, he began training as a nurse in 1931 and qualified as one in 1934. He later trained as a nurse pharmacist qualifying in 1937. During the period he worked as a civil servant, he served in hospitals in several parts of the Ghana (then Gold Coast) including Sefwi-Wiawso, Kumasi, Accra and Dunkwa-on-Offin. Prior to his resignation from civil service to venture private business in 1948, he was stationed at Agona Swedru.[2]

In 1951, Bensah was elected into the legislative assembly as a member for the Agona Swedru Constituency.[4] He was appointed Ministerial Secretary to the Ministry of Communications and Trade in 1953. In 1956, he was re-elected as a member of the legislative assembly and that same year he was posted to the Ministry of Finance still as a Ministerial Secretary until May, 1957.[5] In June, 1957 he was promoted to minister status, he was appointed Minister of Works, a portfolio that became Minister of Works and Housing later that year.[6][7] In 1961 he was appointed Minister for Construction and Communications[8] this post later evolved into Minister of Communications and Works.[9][2][3]

Bensah was married to Madam Dina Ayeh from 1937 to 1942. He later married Madam Annie Hughes.[2]