Harona Esseku

Harona Esseku (8 August 1934 – 3 August 2022)[1] was a Ghanaian politician who served as Ghana's Minister for Transport and Communications from 1969 to 1971. He was approved as a cabinet minister at an age of thirty-five making him the youngest cabinet member of the Second Republic. In the Fourth Republic, he became a founding member of the New Patriotic Party and was National Chairman of the party from 2001 to 2005.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

Harona Esseku
Chairman of the New Patriotic Party
In office
2001–2005
Preceded bySamuel Odoi-Sykes
Succeeded byPeter Mac Manu
Chairman of the Central Region branch of New Patriotic Party
In office
2001–2001
Vice Chairman of the Central Region branch of New Patriotic Party
In office
1996–2001
Minister for Transport and Communications
In office
1969–1971
Prime MinisterKofi Abrefa Busia
Preceded byJ. Matthew Poku
Succeeded byJatoe Kaleo
Member of Parliament
for Awutu-Effutu-Senya Constituency
In office
1969–1972
Personal details
Born(1934-08-08)8 August 1934
Krobonshie, Senya Beraku
Died3 August 2022(2022-08-03) (aged 87)
CitizenshipGhanaian
Political partyNew Patriotic Party (1992 - 2022)
Other political
affiliations
  • Progress Party (1969 - 1972)
  • Popular Front Party (1979 -1981)
EducationAccra Academy
Kumasi College of Technology
Alma materUniversity of Ghana
Known forNew Patriotic Party Founding member

Early years

Harona Esseku was born on August 14, 1934, in Krobonshie, Senya Beraku, in the Central Region. He had his primary education at Senya Beraku Oma School from 1941 to 1949 and went on to the Accra Academy, where he obtained his Cambridge school certificate in 1953.[8] He attended the Kumasi College of Technology from 1954 to 1955. He taught chemistry and geography at his alma mater, Accra Academy after Kumasi and in 1958 he worked as a higher executive officer in the office of the Government Statistician.[8][9]

In 1959, he entered the University of Ghana and read an undergraduate degree course in economics obtained in 1962 on Texaco scholarship. While at university, he was a pioneering student resident of Third Hall (renamed Commonwealth) and became the first student to be elected as president of the Commonwealth Hall Junior Common Room (JCR) at the end of his first year.[10] In his final year, he was president of the Students' Representative Council (SRC) and also president of the International Association of Students in Science and Economics (AIESEC).[8][9]

Career

In 1962, he was employed by Pioneer Tobacco Company (British American Tobacco Ghana) as an executive trainee.[8] He worked in the marketing department as a sales promotion manager for the Brong Ahafo and the then Northern Region.[9] He took several foreign trips on sponsored trainings and was the advertising manager of Pioneer Tobacco by 1967.[8][11]

He also started his own business, which has operated in transport, distribution and commerce. He also has interests in fishing and farming.[9]

Political career

Second Republic political career (1968-1972)

Esseku was secretary to the Senya Beraku Development Association from 1965 to 1968, and Secretary to the Council of Youth Associations covering the three traditional areas of Winneba, Awutu and Senya.

In 1968, he was elected by the Awutus, Effutus, Gomoas and Agonas to represent them in the constituent assembly as the representative of the Winneba Administrative District for the drafting of the constitution of the second republic.[12]

Though an early enthusiast of the Third Force, he joined the Progress Party in 1969 and became one of its leading members.[12][13] In the parliamentary elections that took place on 29 August that year, Harona Esseku was elected as a member of parliament for Awutu-Effutu-Senya Constituency.

At thirty-five years, Harona Esseku became the youngest cabinet minister in the Busia government, with responsibility for the Ministry of Transport and Communications. He lost his ministerial position in a cabinet reschuffle in April 1971.

Third Republic political career (1979 -1981)

At the onset of the third republic, he became a founding member of the Popular Front Party (PFP) and later a member of the steering committee of the party. However, he and other former Progress Party leaders were barred from public office in the Third Republic due to adverse findings against them by a committee after the fall of the Second Republic. Their collective petition to have their ban overturned through a court hearing failed.[14]

Fourth Republic political career (1992-)

In 1992, he was a founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as one of 110 persons who appended their signature to the first party documents filed to the electoral commission.[15]

Esseku was secretary to the national disciplinary committee of the NPP from 1995 to 1998. He was a member of the national council of the NPP from 1995. He was vice chairman of the Central Regional branch of the party from 1996 to 2001, the party's representative to the Inter-Party Committee (IPAC) and the chairman of the NPP electoral commission.[16]

Esseku was deputy chairman of the national campaign committee of the party for the 2000 general elections.

In August 2001, he became chair of the New Patriotic Party with 348 votes as against 61 votes and 22 votes obtained by Samuel Duah Addai and Mohammed Musah respectively. He took over as chair from Samuel Odoi-Sykes and was aged 67 at this takeover.[17][18] He was chair of the New Patriotic Party until December 2005.[9][19] He was replaced by Peter Mac Manu as chair of the party.

Personal life and death

Esseku was married to Janet Esseku, a Ghanaian broadcaster who worked with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.[20] He died on 3 August 2022.[1]

Honours

Harona Esseku is a beneficiary of the member of the Order of the Star of Ghana award, conferred on him by the then president John Agyekum Kufuor in 2007. [21]

See also

References
  1. "NPP's Harona Esseku dies at age 88". GhanaWeb. 5 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  2. editor,"Haruna Esseku Says Sir John Is NPP’s Problem", Ghana News, 10 September 2013.
  3. Boadu-Ayeboafoh, Yaw (3 October 2005). "Haruna Esseku to contest for NPP Chairmanship". Daily Graphic. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  4. "Ghana: Go Wey You NDC!". All Africa. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  5. Bellentine, Abby (25 November 2015). "NPP Considers 'Dismissing' Suspended Chairman Afoko". GH News Now. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  6. Essel, Isaac. "Ghana: NPP's 2yrs Better Than NDC's 8yrs – Esseku". All Africa. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  7. "Esseku opens fire on Ntim". www.ghanaweb.com. Ghana Web. 6 October 2005. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  8. Moses Danquah (1969). The Birth of the Second Republic. Editorial and Publishing Services. p. 102.
  9. Safo, Margaret (17 December 2005). "Who takes the chair?". The Mirror. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  10. G.K. Nukunya (2007). Stages of Life: An Autobiography. Ghana Universities Press. p. 44. ISBN 9789964303563.
  11. Henry Ofori, ed. (6 May 1969), Daily Graphic, p. 4
  12. Dennis Austin, Robin Luckham, ed. (1976), Politicians and Soldiers in Ghana 1966-1972, Frank Cass and Co., p. 158, ISBN 9781317792239
  13. Eddie Agyeman, ed. (17 July 1969). "Political Roundup". Daily Graphic (5845): 3.
  14. "Afrifa and Others Cleared". Ghana News. 8–12: 8. 1979.
  15. Elvis D. Aryeh, ed. (11 December 1997). "Essuman sparks of controversy in NPP". Daily Graphic (14621): 11.
  16. "Harona Esseku - Still Going Strong". The Daily Graphic: 17. 26 October 2005.
  17. "Harona Esseku New NPP Chairman". modernghana.com. 26 August 2001.
  18. "Esseku takes over from Odoi-Sykes as NPP chairman". ghanareview.com. 26 August 2001.
  19. Boadu-Ayeboafoh, Yaw (3 October 2005). "Haruna Esseku to contest for NPP Chairmanship". Daily Graphic. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  20. GNA. "ASWIM first president passes on". Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  21. "President nominates personalities for National Awards". GhanaDot. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
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