Kow Nkensen Arkaah
Encyclopedia
Kow Nkensen Arkaah the "stubborn cat," was a Ghana
ian politician and former Vice President of Ghana during the Fourth Republic. He was also a chief of Senya Breku.
of the Gold Coast
(now Ghana). He attended Mfantsipim School
between 1941 and 1946, then the Achimota College, the predecessor of the University of Ghana
. He proceeded to the United States of America where he obtained his first degree at Tufts College. He then attended Harvard University
where he obtained an MBA between 1952 and 1954.
. He later returned to Ghana. From 1954 to 1957, Arkaah worked as a Marketing Executive of the Mobil Oil Ghana Limited. For the next ten years up to 1968, Mr. Arkaah worked with the civil service, rising to become Principal Secretary between 1966 and 1968. Arkaah was also the head of the Ghana National Trading Corporation (GNTC), a huge national trading franchise at the time, the now defunct Ghana Airways
Airline and the Ghana National Procurement Agency. He has also worked as a consultant in the Gambia, Sierra Leone
, Yugoslavia
and Ethiopia
.
(NCP) prior to the 1992 Ghanaian presidential elections
. His party formed an alliance with the National Democratic Congress
(NDC) of Jerry Rawlings
and Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere
(EGLE). As part of the deal, Kow Arkaah got to be the Vice Presidential candidate on Rawlings' ticket.
Rawlings and Arkaah had a difficult working relationship throughout their four year term. The highpoint was an alleged punch up between Rawlings and Arkaah at a cabinet meeting on December 28, 1995. Jerry Rawlings at least alluded that there had been some form of misunderstanding. Arkaah styled himself the "stubborn cat" after that incident.
Arkaah became the leader of the Convention People's Party
formed by the merger of the NCP and the People's Convention Party
. The merger was announced on January 29, 1996.
Arkaah, who continued as Vice President of Ghana, stood against his own government in the 1996 Ghanaian presidential elections and lost. He was replaced in the Rawlings government
by Professor John Atta Mills, a law lecturer, as Rawlings' deputy.
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian politician and former Vice President of Ghana during the Fourth Republic. He was also a chief of Senya Breku.
Early life
Kow Arkaah was born on July 14, 1927 at Senya Breku in the Central RegionCentral Region (Ghana)
The Central Region is one of Ghana's ten administrative regions. It is bordered by the Ashanti and Eastern regions to the north, Western region to the west, Greater Accra region to the east, and to the south by the Atlantic Ocean.-Districts:...
of the Gold Coast
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
(now Ghana). He attended Mfantsipim School
Mfantsipim School
Mfantsipim SchoolMotto:Dwen Hwe Kan .Established: 3rd April 1876.Public School . Affiliated with Wesleyanism/Methodist Church.Head of school: Kwame Mieza Edjah.Staff:85....
between 1941 and 1946, then the Achimota College, the predecessor of the University of Ghana
University of Ghana
The University of Ghana is the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian universities and tertiary institutions. It is one of the best universities in Africa and by far the most prestigious in West Africa...
. He proceeded to the United States of America where he obtained his first degree at Tufts College. He then attended Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
where he obtained an MBA between 1952 and 1954.
Career
Arkaah worked as an Assistant Sales Manager of Secony Oil Corporation of New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He later returned to Ghana. From 1954 to 1957, Arkaah worked as a Marketing Executive of the Mobil Oil Ghana Limited. For the next ten years up to 1968, Mr. Arkaah worked with the civil service, rising to become Principal Secretary between 1966 and 1968. Arkaah was also the head of the Ghana National Trading Corporation (GNTC), a huge national trading franchise at the time, the now defunct Ghana Airways
Ghana Airways
Ghana Airways Limited was the national airline of the Republic of Ghana with its main base of operation, and hub, at Kotoka International Airport in Accra....
Airline and the Ghana National Procurement Agency. He has also worked as a consultant in the Gambia, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
and Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
.
Politics
Arkaah became the leader of the National Convention PartyNational Convention Party (Ghana)
The National Convention Party is a political party in Ghana that existed between 1992 and January 1996.-Formation:The party was formed in 1992 after the ban on political parties was lifted by the military Provisional National Defence Council government...
(NCP) prior to the 1992 Ghanaian presidential elections
Ghanaian presidential election, 1992
Presidential elections were held in Ghana on 3 November 1992. The result was a victory for Jerry John Rawlings, who won 58.4% of the vote. Voter turnout was 50.2%.-Results:...
. His party formed an alliance with the National Democratic Congress
National Democratic Congress (Ghana)
The National Democratic Congress is a social democratic political party in Ghana, founded by Jerry John Rawlings, who was Head of State of Ghana from 1981 to 1993 and the President of Ghana from 1993 to 2001. The NDC was formed ahead of elections in 1992 and 1996 returned Jerry John Rawlings to...
(NDC) of Jerry Rawlings
Jerry Rawlings
Jerry John Rawlings is a former leader of the Republic of Ghana and now the African Union envoy to Somalia. Rawlings ruled Ghana as a military dictator in 1979 and from 1981 to 1992 and then as the first elected president of the Fourth Republic from 1993 to 2001...
and Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere
Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere
The Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere is a political party in Ghana.At the last elections, 7 December 2004, the party was part of the Grand Coalition, that won 4 out of 230 seats. Edward Mahama, candidate of the Grand Coalition won 1.9% of the vote in the presidential elections....
(EGLE). As part of the deal, Kow Arkaah got to be the Vice Presidential candidate on Rawlings' ticket.
Rawlings and Arkaah had a difficult working relationship throughout their four year term. The highpoint was an alleged punch up between Rawlings and Arkaah at a cabinet meeting on December 28, 1995. Jerry Rawlings at least alluded that there had been some form of misunderstanding. Arkaah styled himself the "stubborn cat" after that incident.
Arkaah became the leader of the Convention People's Party
Convention People's Party
The Convention People's Party is a socialist political party in Ghana, based on the ideas of former President Kwame Nkrumah.The CPP was formed in 1949 by Kwame Nkrumah to campaign for the independence of the Gold Coast. It ruled Ghana from 1957 to 1966...
formed by the merger of the NCP and the People's Convention Party
People's Convention Party
The People's Convention Party is a former political party in Ghana.It merged with the National Convention Party in 1996 and became the reformed Convention People's Party....
. The merger was announced on January 29, 1996.
Arkaah, who continued as Vice President of Ghana, stood against his own government in the 1996 Ghanaian presidential elections and lost. He was replaced in the Rawlings government
Rawlings government
This is a listing of the ministers who served in Jerry Rawlings's National Democratic Congress government during the Fourth Republic of Ghana. This started on January 7, 1993, after 11 years of military rule by Rawlings...
by Professor John Atta Mills, a law lecturer, as Rawlings' deputy.