Obed Asamoah
Encyclopedia
Dr. Obed Yao Asamoah is a politician from Ghana
. Asamoah is the longest serving foreign minister
and Attorney General
of Ghana under Jerry Rawlings
from 1981 to 1997. Asamoah was educated at King's College London
and at Columbia University
. He was a lecturer in Law at the University of Ghana
. Some of his famous students include Professor John Evans Atta Mills (the current president of Ghana), Tsatsu Tsikata
, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
, current flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party
(NPP), etc. In 2002, Asamoah replaced Rawlings as head of the opposition National Democratic Congress
(NDC), beating former defense minister Alhaji Iddrisu by just 2 votes. In 2006, he lost his chairmanship position in the party. Not long after the defeat, he later resigned from the party. After accusations of having "stolen" about a 10 thousand cedis
(which he had reported lost from his bedroom) in the mid-90s, on August 28, 2006, he and other politicians (most of whom also resigned from the NDC) launched a new political party, the Democratic Freedom Party
(DFP) of which he is the life Patron. Despite speculation that Asamoah would run for President
in 2008, he declared that he never intended to run for the presidency and would not seek the Presidency but instead work to win victory for his party in that year's national elections.. In October 2011, Dr. Obed Asamoah and his Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) re-joins the National Democratic Congress (NDC)which he helped form. He described as "wasteful thinking", suggestions that the DFP merged with the NDC because of ministerial appointment offers. He said the decision by the party to re-unite with the NDC is purely based on the growing internal democracy within the NDC.
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...
. Asamoah is the longest serving foreign minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
and Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of Ghana under 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...
from 1981 to 1997. Asamoah was educated at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
and at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. He was a lecturer in Law at 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...
. Some of his famous students include Professor John Evans Atta Mills (the current president of Ghana), Tsatsu Tsikata
Tsatsu Tsikata
Tsatsu Tsikata is a Ghanaian academic and lawyer. He is also a former Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation.-Early life and education:...
, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is a Ghanaian lawyer and politician. He was one of the founding members of the centrist New Patriotic Party in 1992, and was also the founder and first chairperson of the Ghana Committee on Human and People's Rights...
, current flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party
New Patriotic Party
-External links:*...
(NPP), etc. In 2002, Asamoah replaced Rawlings as head of the opposition 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), beating former defense minister Alhaji Iddrisu by just 2 votes. In 2006, he lost his chairmanship position in the party. Not long after the defeat, he later resigned from the party. After accusations of having "stolen" about a 10 thousand cedis
Ghanaian cedi
The Ghana Cedi is the unit of currency of Ghana. The word "cedi" is derived from the Akan word for cowry shell. The Ghana cedi was introduced on 3 July 2007 and is equal to 10,000 old cedis...
(which he had reported lost from his bedroom) in the mid-90s, on August 28, 2006, he and other politicians (most of whom also resigned from the NDC) launched a new political party, the Democratic Freedom Party
Democratic Freedom Party
The Democratic Freedom Party is a political party in Ghana. It was formed in 2006.-Formation:The formation of the party was first announced by Dr. Obed Asamoah, former chairman of the National Democratic Congress in February 2006. This follows a split between a Rawlings faction and an Asamoah...
(DFP) of which he is the life Patron. Despite speculation that Asamoah would run for President
President of Ghana
The President of Ghana is the elected head of state and head of government of Ghana. Officially styled President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghanaian Armed Forces. The current President of Ghana is Prof. John Atta Mills, who took office in January...
in 2008, he declared that he never intended to run for the presidency and would not seek the Presidency but instead work to win victory for his party in that year's national elections.. In October 2011, Dr. Obed Asamoah and his Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) re-joins the National Democratic Congress (NDC)which he helped form. He described as "wasteful thinking", suggestions that the DFP merged with the NDC because of ministerial appointment offers. He said the decision by the party to re-unite with the NDC is purely based on the growing internal democracy within the NDC.