Kwame Pianim

Andrews Kwame Pianim is a Ghanaian financier and former government official in the NPP government. He served as CEO of New World Investments, a company he co-founded in 1995.[1] After ten years as a political prisoner, he made a 1996 bid to run for the presidency of Ghana on the ticket of the NPP but lost to the former President J.A. Kufuor.

Early life and family

Pianim attended Achimota School for his secondary education. He received a B.A. Double Honours in Economics and Political Science from the University of New Brunswick, Canada (1963) and M.A. in economics from Yale University (1964), USA.[2]

Pianim married a Dutch woman named Cornelia Pianim. Their youngest son Elkin Kwesi Pianim (born 1970), a Vassar College trained corporate financier, was married to media heiress Elisabeth Murdoch; Kwame Pianim has two grandchildren in common with Rupert Murdoch, namely Cornelia and Anna Pianim.

Economic and finance career

As an economist, his philosophy is multi-dimensional, but a consistent theme has been the essential incompatibility between the economic agenda of poor nations, or what ought to be their economic agenda, and the priorities of the Bretton Woods system.[3]

Pianim was chairman of the board at UBA Ghana from the bank's inception in Ghana in 2004 till 2014.[4] He has been chairman of the board at Bayport Financial Services since 2002 and has also chaired the boards of Airtel Communications Ghana and e-Tranzact. He has also been school board chair at Ghana International School.[5]

Politics

He was arrested with a group of soldiers including Sgt. Akata Pore on 23 November 1982 following the capture of part of Gondar Barracks, Burma Camp in an apparent abortive coup attempt.[6]

His attempts to contest the 1996 presidential elections on the ticket of the centre-right New Patriotic Party were scuppered when the Supreme Court ruled to uphold a controversial law preventing individuals convicted of treasonous acts from holding public office, even if such acts were committed during periods of unconstitutional rule.

Following the Court's decision, he resigned from politics to focus on private activities within the realm of development economics.[7]

Following an economic crisis in Ghana under the presidency of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, he voiced his concerns about the direction of government activities in July 2023.[8][9]

Recent activities

In 2001, he was appointed the chairman of the Public Utility Regulation Council (PURC) of Ghana, a high-level commission tasked with the responsibility of overseeing and regulating electricity and water utilities. He resigned in December 2007 as a result of differences with the then ruling NPP government of John A. Kufuor. He is the President of Old Achimotans Association.[10]

References
  1. "Ken Agyapong backs Pianim's 'laziness' comment". www.ghanaweb.com. 4 March 2013. Retrieved 2017-10-17.
  2. "Achimota 1984 Year Group - Official Website > Dinner Dance". Archived from the original on 2013-12-06. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
  3. "BUNHILL : Yorkshire's battle of the big cheeses". The Independent. 1996-10-20. Retrieved 2017-10-17.
  4. Kwame Pianim retires as UBA Chairman. 8 March 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2022. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  5. [annualreportsghana.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F07%2FBayport-Financial-Services-Bond-Prospectus.pdf "Bayport Financial Services Ghana Limited Prospectus"] (PDF), annualreportsghana.com, 2015 {{citation}}: Check |url= value (help)
  6. "The story of how Kwame Pianim's alleged girlfriend revealed coup plans to Rawlings appointees". www.myinfo.com.gh. 2022-02-26. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  7. Buckley, Stephen (April 16, 1995). "Ghana Finds Politics at Odds With Economics". Washington Post. Washington Post Foreign Service. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  8. "DDEP: Akufo-Addo completely ignored my advice – Kwame Pianim". www.myjoyonline.com. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  9. "It's going to be difficult for NPP to convince Ghanaians in 2024 — Kwame Pianim". Pulse Ghana. 2023-07-12. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
  10. "Old Achimotan Association". www.oldachimotan.net. Retrieved 2017-10-17.
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