Kwame Addo-Kufuor

Hon. Kwame Addo-Kufuor
Member of Parliament for Manhyia
In office 7 January 1997 – 7 January 2009
Succeeded by	Mathew Opoku Prempeh
Preceded by	Kwamena Bartels
Minister of the Interior
In office 2008–2009
President	John Kufuor
Preceded by	Albert Kan-Dapaah
Succeeded by	Cletus Avoka
Minister for Defence
In office January 2001 – 2008
President	John Kufuor
Preceded by	Lt. Col. E. K. T. Donkoh
Personal details
Born	(1940-07-14) 14 July 1940 Kumasi, Ghana
Nationality	Ghanaian
Political party	New Patriotic Party
Spouse	Rosemary Addo-Kufuor
Relations	John Kufuor - brother
Children	Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Kojo Addo-Kufuor & Nana Ama Poku
Alma mater	Jesus College, University of Cambridge
Profession	Medical doctor

Kwame Addo-Kufuor (born 14 July 1940) is a Ghanaian politician and medical doctor. Addo-Kufuor was a member of parliament for Manhyia, and from 2001 to 2007, he was the Minister for Defence under President John Kufuor, his brother. Between June 2008 and 2009, he was the Minister for Interior.

Early life and Education

Addo-Kufuor was born on 14 July 1940. He was educated at the Cambridge University, United Kingdom, where he obtained MA MB BCHIR./> He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine from the University. He also studied at the Middlesex Medical School Hospital and Jesus College.

Career

Addo-Kufuor is a medical doctor by profession. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, London, as well as a Fellow of the West African College of Physicians. Dr. Addo -Kufuor was a part-time lecturer at the Medical School, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi for several years. Besides being a lecturer, he supported Korle Bu Teaching Hospital as a Member of Council and Inspector of Examination for the final year Bachelor of Medicine students. He also served as a member of the Board of Examiners for Foreign trained doctors applying to work in Ghana.

Dr. Addo-Kufuor is a dedicated member of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA). In 1992, he was elected to serve as the 13th President of the Association; a position he held for 3 years. He was subsequently honoured and conferred as a Fellow of the Ghana Medical Association.

On October 2003, Dr. Addo-Kufuor, then Minister of Defence of the Republic of Ghana, inaugurated the new Ghana Medical Association building at Korle Bu. He was a representative for West Africa in the Confederation of African Associations. He was awarded the Gold Medal for distinguished medical care practice by the Ghana Medical and Dental Council. He was awarded the Order of the Volta (Companion) by the Government of Ghana in recognition of his sterling contribution to health care in the country.

Dr. Addo-Kufuor continues to play a key role in the activities of the Ghana Medical Association to date and had contributed immensely to the GMA securing some SSNIT Flats at Borteyman and Asokore Mampong in Kumasi at competitive rates for its members.

Political career

Addo-Kufuor is a member of the New Patriotic Party. He became a member of parliament in January 1997 after emerging as a winner in the General Election in December 1996. He was elected once more as the member of parliament for the Manhyia constituency in the fourth parliament of the fourth Republic of Ghana. In January 2001, Addo-Kufuor was appointed as Defence Minister, a position he held for seven years. Under his leadership, the Ghana Armed Forces witnessed significant changes and saw tangible legacies which he initiated and executed - such as the new Ministry of Defence building, the Burma Camp Complex, a legacy ICT Centre of Excellence, the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre, the refurbished 37 Military Hospital which has assumed the status of a Teaching Hospital in the country among others. Dr Addo-Kufuor also instituted sound financial policies for the training and upkeep of personnel in the Armed Forces

Elections

1997 Parliamentary Elections

Addo was first elected into Parliament during the December 1996 Ghanaian General Elections for the Manhyia Constituency in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. He polled 59,227 votes out of the 72,789 valid votes cast representing 63.30% against Yaw Addai Boadu an NDC member who polled 13,562 representing 14.50%. He was re-elected with 64,067 votes out of the 78,368 valid votes cast representing 81.80% against Samuel B.Donkoh an NDC member who polled 12,244 votes representing 15.60%, Salifu Mumuni and PNC member who polled 1,614 votes representing 2.10% and Nana O. Boateng who polled 443 votes representing 0.60%.

2004 Parliamentary Elections

Addo-Kufuor was elected as the member of parliament for the Bekwai constituency of the Ashanti Region of Ghana in the 2004 Ghanaian general elections. He won on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party. His constituency was a part of the 36 parliamentary seats out of 39 seats won by the New Patriotic Party in that election for the Ashanti Region. The New Patriotic Party won a total of 128 parliamentary seats out of 230 seats. He was elected with 66,210 votes out of 87,629 total valid votes cast. This was equivalent to 75.6% of total valid votes cast. He was elected over Salifu Mumuni of the People’s National Convention, Kwame Boateng of the National Democratic Congress, E. A. Ohene Darko of the Convention People’s Party, and Kofi Pervical Akpaloo an independent candidate. These obtained 667, 9,550, 498 and 10,704 votes respectively of total votes cast.4,6 These were equivalent to 0.8%, 10.9%, 0.6% and 12.2% respectively of total valid votes cast.

Personal life

Addo-Kufuor is a Christian.

Bibliography

• Kwame Addo-Kufuor: Gold Coast Boy (A Memoir). Digibooks Ghana Ltd, 2015, ISBN 978-9988-2-1913-0.