John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor (born 8 December 1938)[1] is a Ghanaian politician who served as the tenthpresident of Ghana from 2001 to 2009.[2] He was the fifthchairperson of the African Union from 2007 to 2008[3] and his victory overJohn Atta Mills at the end ofJerry Rawlings' second term marked the first transition of power inGhana from a democratic party to another democratic party.[4]
The scion of a royal maternal lineage, John Kufuor was born in Daaban, a suburb ofKumasi in theAshanti Region ofGhana. He started his primary and elementary school at the Kumasi Government School located in Asem built bySir Gordon Guggisberg. Kufuor was the 7th of 10 children of Nana Kwadwo Agyekum, anAsante and Nana Ama Dapaah, a Queen Mother.[7][1] In 1951, he continued his primary (then called 'standard' three) education at Osei Tutu Boarding School (Osei Tutu Senior High School) from 1951 to 1953.[8] AtPrempeh College from 1954 to 1958, he schooled from Form 1 to Form 5. Arriving inLondon on 30 April 1959, he was by June accepted intoLincoln's Inn, London (1959–61) to study law, becoming qualified as a barrister in one year and eight months. He was called to the London bar in 1961. In the following year, he was called to the bar in Ghana before going on toOxford University, graduating fromExeter College, in 1964.[9] He was initially employed at theGhana Commercial Bank in London as a manager and legal officer. He returned to Ghana in the year 1965 at the behest of his mother who (having already bought a first-class ticket for his return) wished him to practice in Africa. He practiced in the Chambers of Victor Owusu with another lawyer, Owusu Yaw.[10] In 1966, he became the town clerk of Kumasi City Council (nowKumasi Metropolitan Assembly). In the Second Republic's Parliamentary register, Kufuor listed his hobbies and interests as table tennis, reading,football, and film shows.[11] He was once the chairman of KumasiAsante Kotoko Football Club.[12]
After completing his education, Kufuor returned toGhana and launched his political career. In 1967, he became chief legal officer and town clerk for the city ofKumasi. By 1969, he was a member of Parliament and deputy foreign minister in the government ofKofi Abrefa Busia.[13] Kufuor served as the Member of Parliament forAtwima Nwabiagya[14] in theSecond (1969–72) andThird (1979–81) Republics. He is a founding member of theProgress Party which was established in Busia's house.[15] AsDeputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, he represented Ghana on a number of occasions. From 1969 to December 1971, he led Ghana's delegation to theUnited Nations General Assembly in New York City, theOrganization of African Unity (OAU) Ministerial Meetings inAddis Ababa, and the Summit Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement inLusaka. In 1970 he led the Ghanaian delegation toMoscow in theSoviet Union,Prague (Czechoslovakia), andBelgrade (Yugoslavia) to discuss Ghana's indebtedness to these countries. As the Spokesman onForeign Affairs and DeputyOpposition Leader of thePopular Front Party (PFP) Parliamentary Group during the Third Republic, he was invited to accompany PresidentHilla Limann to the OAU Summit Conference inFreetown,Sierra Leone. He was also a member of the parliamentary delegation that visited the United States in 1981 to talk to theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) and theWorld 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, its general secretary, DrObed Asamoah and Kufuor, to accept an invitation from theProvisional 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.[16] As Secretary for Local Government, he wrote the Local Government Policy Guidelines that were to be the foundation of the current decentralized District Assemblies.[17]
On 20 April 1996, Kufuor was nominated by 1034 out of 2000 delegates of theNew Patriotic Party (NPP) drawn from all the 200 Constituencies of the Country to run for the president of Ghana on 10 December 1996. After campaigning for less than nine months, Kufuor polled 39.62% of the popular votes to Rawlings' 57% in the 1996 election. On 23 October 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.[18] Kufuor won the presidential election of December 2000; in the first round, held on 7 December, Kufuor came in first place with 48.4%, whileJohn Atta-Mills,Jerry Rawlings' Vice-president, came in second with 44.8%, forcing the two into arun-off vote. In the second round, held on 28 December, Kufuor was victorious, taking 56.9% of the vote. When Kufuor was sworn in on 7 January 2001,[19] it marked the first time in Ghana's history that an incumbent government hadpeaceful transition of power to the opposition. Kufuor was re-elected in presidential and parliamentary elections held on 7 December 2004, earning 52.45% of the popular vote in the first round and thus avoiding a run-off,[20] while at the same time Kufuor's party, the New Patriotic Party, was able to secure more seats in theParliament of Ghana.[21]
His administration's domestic policy in the first term was marked by fiscal and monetary stringency on the economic front, aimed at stabilizing a national economy that stagnated and was in decline. His social vision was focused on unleashing the entrepreneurial, creative and innovative potential of Ghanaians as a means of creating wealth and hence dealing with the social challenges facing them. This socioeconomic vision was encapsulated in the Five Priority Areas Programme, viz., the pursuit ofgood governance, modernization of agriculture for rural development, private sector participation, enhanced social services and vigorous infrastructure development. His administration is said to have received the most financial assistance in the history of Ghana, due essentially to donors' distrust for the military governments before it, as well as those with some military connections. Kufuor's foreign policy was underpinned by what he termed "economic diplomacy". It is within this context that inAfrica in general and in West Africa in particular, agood neighborliness policy has been pursued, which saw Ghana under Kufuor brokering peace inLiberia,Sierra Leone,Ivory Coast andGuinea-Bissau, among other African states. On the global stage, Kufuor actively sought the establishment of a just and equitable international social and economic order, while promoting and safeguarding the interests of Ghana through bilateral and multilateral agreements. His stature as statesman, democrat and credible spokesman for Africa found expression in his invitation to major international meetings and conferences including the founding summit of the AU, G8 Summits inSea Island,Georgia andGleneagles,Scotland, and theWorld Economic Forum. He served as chairman of the regional groupingECOWAS for two consecutive terms – 2003 and 2004.[22] In 2007, due to the policy successes his administration accumulated, Kufuor had his mandate renewed in 2004 and was sworn into office on 7 January 2005. Policy direction in Kufuor's second presidential term built on the foundations laid in the first four years. The administration pursued Ghana's socioeconomic transformation in the second term, using the three-pronged approach of private-sector development, human resource development andgood governance. At the international level, Kufuor consolidated Ghana's position as the voice of Africa, credible peace broker, beacon of democracy (Ghana was the first country to undergo Peer Review underNEPAD's Africa Peer Review Mechanism) and responsible member of the committee of nations. On 29 January 2007, Kufuor was elected asChairperson of the African Union for the 2007–08 AU session. He was succeeded byJakaya Kikwete ofTanzania on 31 January 2008.[23] Kufuor was involved in a car accident during his presidency on 14 November 2007, in which another car collided with his, causing it to roll over several times. Kufuor was reported to be uninjured.[24]
He started theNational Health Insurance Scheme to replace the existent cash-and-carry system;[25] 11 million Ghanaians were registered under this scheme. He set up the National Ambulance Service and built more than 205 hospitals and clinics.[26] He also built a state-of-the-art emergency centre at theKomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.[27] Kufuor also introduced free maternal health care in public hospitals for all expectant mothers.[28]
Kufuor institutionalised the capitation grant for school children at the basic level, whereby each student was entitled to $2 for cultural sports and development. He also started the national school feeding programme. He changed the Senior Secondary School curriculum from three years to four years and renamed it Senior High School. He started the model school senior high school concept, in which some deprived schools were upgraded to the level of some first-class senior high schools.[29]
Kufuor launched the Microfinance and small loans program (MASLOC) – a US $50million fund that makes micro loans available to the productive population – and introduced the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty Program (LEAP), which provides direct cash transfers to poor households in the country who could not support themselves. For the first time in Ghana's history, borrowing became so cheap and available that microfinance companies (and major banks) actually went on to the streets to encourage small-scale businessmen and women to apply for loans.[30][31]
He renovated theAccra Sports Stadium and theBaba Yara Stadium as well as built theEssipong andTamale stadiums in 2008 to host theCAN 2008.[32] Under Kufuor Ghana qualified for the World Cup in 2006.[33] President Kufuor's good governance policy led to Ghana obtaining a record $500 million grant from the U.S Millennium Challenge Account for economic development. The social vision behind the grant was anchored on unleashing the entrepreneurial, creative and innovative potential of Ghanaians as a means of creating wealth and hence dealing with the social challenges facing Ghanaians. This socio-economic vision was encapsulated in the Five Priority Areas Programme vis the pursuit of good governance, modernisation of agriculture for rural development, private sector participation, enhanced social services and vigorous infrastructural development. The George Walker Bush Highway was also built from this fund.[34]
Kufuor, at the age of 23, marriedTheresa Kufuor (née Mensah) in 1962 after they met at a Republic Day Anniversary Dance inLondon in 1961;[6] they have five children together. Kufuor and his family belong to theRoman Catholic Church. He is a Senior Grand Warden of theUnited Grand Lodge of England Freemasons,[35] and has openly professed his membership as aFreemason since being a young lawyer.[36] AnAsante, Kufuor speaks theTwi language fluently. He was known for using his language whenever he was campaigning in his nativeAshanti Region. Kufuor and his family reside inAccra, Ghana's capital. His wife, Theresa Kufuor, died on 1 October 2023.[37][38][39] Kufour has nine siblings - four brothers and five sisters.[2]
In July 2009, Kufuor became a member of theSNV Netherlands Development Organization International Advisory Board to contribute his expertise to the organization's poverty reduction work.[40] In September 2009, Kufuor spoke in theNetherlands at a Dutch government event to mark '60 years of development aid' at the invitation of Dutch MinisterBert Koenders, which was attended by nearly 2,000 people. During his visit to the Netherlands, he was interviewed by the newspaperNRC Handelsblad and theInternationale Samenwerking magazine. He argued for the importance of effective development assistance, pointing out that development aid helped Ghana enter the international capital market.[41] On 21 September 2009, he delivered the prestigious Legatum Pericles Lecture at theLegatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at theMassachusetts Institute of Technology.[42] Kufuor is the Governing Council Chairman ofInterpeace, an international peace building organisation based in Geneva since October 2009. Also in 2009, he served on the High Level Commission on the Modernization of World Bank Group Governance, which – under the leadership ofErnesto Zedillo – conducted an external review of theWorld Bank Group's governance.[43] Kufuor was chosen together withLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva to jointly receive the 2011World Food Prize for their personal commitment and visionary leadership while serving as the presidents of Ghana and of Brazil, respectively, in creating and implementing government policies to alleviate hunger and poverty in their countries. The foundation said the significant achievements of these two Laureates illustrate that transformational leadership truly can effect positive change and greatly improve people's lives.[44] On 20 September 2011, Kufuor inaugurated the John Agyekum Kufuor (JAK) Foundation with a ground-breaking ceremony for the JAK Centre for Leadership, Governance and Development at theUniversity of Ghana,Legon. The inaugural lecture, which attracted very high local and foreign dignitaries, hadHorst Köhler, former president of Germany, as its guest speaker.Thabo Mbeki, former president of South Africa, and Ghana ex-presidentJerry John Rawlings, Kufuor's fiercest critic, were among the dignitaries who attended the ceremony. The ex-presidents also unveiled a plaque on 22 September 2011 for the Kufuor Presidential Library and Museum atKwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, which formed part of the John A. Kufuor Foundation.[45] In September 2018 the foundation set up the Kufuor Young Entrepreneurs Network (K-YEN). This initiative supports and develops young entrepreneurs to excel in their endeavors.[46] In October 2011, Kufuor received the 2011World Food Prize, along with PresidentLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva for his personal commitment and visionary leadership while serving as the president of Ghana, and in creating and implementing government policies to alleviate hunger and poverty in his country.[44] Since November 2011, Kufuor has been the first high-level chair of theSanitation and Water for All (SWA) partnership.[47] Numerous NPP supporters tried to barricade President Kufuor's house on 7 January 2013 to prevent him from attendingJohn Dramani Mahama's inauguration, which the NPP as a party had decided to boycott as they felt going would undermine their challenge to Mahama's win in court. Kufuor explained that the party had allowed him to go because he was invited as an ex-President of Ghana and not as a Member of the NPP to the chagrin of the supporters. TheGhana Police Service (GPS) reinforcement had to be sent to his abode to allow him to be able to go for the programme.[48] In September 2017, theGeorge Grant University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) appointed Kufour as the first Chancellor of the university,[49] the appointment taking effect from 1 November 2017. The Investiture of was held in January 2018.[50]
In a lead up to the 2024 Ghana Elections, Former President John Kufour publicly endorsed Dr.Mahamudu Bawumia's presidential campaign, highlighting his impressive skills in economic management as the reason for his endorsement.[51] He received serious criticism fromAlan Kyerematen, who expressed his endorsement of Dr. Bawumia has tarnished the impartiality expected of a former statesman.[52]
Kufuor has received numerous awards, including the Face-of-Good-Governance Award, Chatham House Prize, the Climate Change Award, and the World Food Program's Global Ambassador Against Hunger.[53]
Ivor Agyeman-Duah:Between Faith and History: A Biography of J. A. Kufuor (Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, 2003,ISBN1-59221-128-3). Oxfordshire: Ayebia Clarke Publishing, 2006.ISBN978-0-9547023-9-7.
