Mahama's Veep: Amissah-Arthur Gets The Nod

Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur- Central Bank Governor is President Mahama's choice for Vice-President

Central Bank Governor, Kwesi Amissah Arthur, has been nominated as the Vice-President of Ghana.

President John Dramani Mahama has communicated the choice to the Speaker of Parliament.

The spokesperson to the President, Mr John Jinapor told graphic.com.gh at the seat of government at the Castle, Osu, today that Mr Amissah-Arthur, an economist, would now have to go through an approval process in Parliament to be confirmed as the Vice President in line with Article 60 (10) of the 1992 Constitution.

Article 60 (10) of the Constitution stipulates that “The Vice President shall, upon assuming office as President under Clause Six of this Article, nominate a person to the office of Vice President subject to approval by Parliament”.

The nomination of Mr Arthur followed the swearing-in of Mr Mahama as the President following the demise of former President John Evans Atta Mills on July 24, 2012.

Mr Jinapor said the President’s nominee brings to the table a vast experience as an economist, lecturer and a researcher.

He explained that with the rich experience of Mr Amissah-Arthur, the government would be well-positioned to prosecute its policies for the good of Ghanaians.

The country’s number two office became vacant after the elevation of the then Vice-President John Dramani Mahama to the office of President following the death of President J.E.A Mills last Tuesday.

Mr Amissah-Arthur is also likely to be the National Democratic Congress (NDC) running mate for the 2012 elections.

Mr Mahama was swiftly sworn in fulfilment of Article 60 (6) of the 1992 Constitution, which states that : “Whenever the President dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the Vice President shall assume office as President for the unexpired term of office of the President with effect from the date of the death, resignation or removal of the President”

After days of intensive lobbying and political calculations, President Mahama in consultation with executives of the NDC settled on Mr Amissah-Arthur, an economist who root with the NDC traces back to the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) era.

Prior to Mr Arthur’s nomination, a lot of names were making rounds in the rumour mill. Prominent among the prospective candidates were renowed economist and former Minister of Finance during Rawlings regime, Dr Kwesi Botcwey; Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Hanna Tetteh; Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the Local Government and Rural Development Minister; Food and Agriculture Minister, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi,; Mr P.V Obeng, a Presidential Advisor and Mr Henry Ford Kamel, the Volta Regional Minister.

In 2009 when the NDC returned to power, the economist was appointed by the late President Mills as Governor of the Central Bank on October 1, 2009 to replace Dr. Paul Acquah who served eight years as Governor.

Mr Amissah Arthur was said to be the late President John Evans Atta Mills preferred candidate to the Central Bank highest position because of his involvement in the team of technocrats who impressively managed Ghana’s structural adjustment programme, which turned the country’s economic fortunes around in the 1980s.

The 61-year old Mr Amissah-Arthur’s journey with the management of the nation’s coffers started in February 1986 where he was the Special Assistant  to the PNDC Secretary of Finance from 1983 to 1986.

He then rose a notch higher to become the PNDC Deputy Secretary for Finance and Economic Planning from February 1986 to March 1983..

When the Fourth Republican sun rose with former President Rawlings still at the helm of affairs, he was appointed the Deputy Minister of Finance from 1993 to 1997 where he worked with Dr Kwesi Botchwey who was himself highly tipped for the position.

Mr. Amissah-Arthur, who was also the Deputy Chairman of the Transition team on Economy, is a protégé of former Finance Minister, Dr. Kwesi Botchway. He served in the first Rawlings administration as a Deputy Minister of Finance.

He also accumulated a great deal of experience whiles involved in structural adjustments programme, which enabled him to move into a more lucrative International Consultancy Business, thus making him one of the wealthiest people in the country.

Dr. Paul Acquah was twice voted as the best Central Bank Governor in Africa in 2007 and 2008, after he successfully initiated a tight monetary policy regime.

He was also credited with key reforms such as the creation of an interest rate policy committee and the successfully redenomination of the Ghanaian Cedi.

In its maiden edition the governor of the Bank of Ghana, Kwesi Amissah Arthur has been named the most influential personality in the year 2010 by the Ghanaian think tank, IMANI Ghana.

Before his sojourn with the management of the country’s economy, Mr Amissah-Arthur’s first appointment was at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) where he was a research assistant from 1974-1975.

From there, he took to the classroom of the Department of Economics of the University of Ghana as a teaching assistant from 1977-1978. He became an assistant lecturer in the same department in 1979 before becoming a lecturer from 1980 to 1988.

He also lectured at the Anambra State College of Education in Nigeria from 1981 to 1983.

Mr Amissah-Arthur was born April 29, 1951 at Cape Coast in the Central Region Region. He had his Ordinary level and Advanced level certificates at the Mfantsipim School in Cape Coast in 1969 and 1971 respectively.

He then proceeded to the University of Ghana where he was awarded degrees in BSc Economics in 1974 and MSc Economics in 1980.