Krobo Edusei

Krobo Edusei (26 December 1914 – 13 February 1984)^[1][2] was a Ghanaian politician and a member of Kwame Nkrumah's government. He was a popular, outspoken and prominent Ashanti activist galvanising support amongst the Ashantis for Nkrumah's independence movement. He served as Minister without Portfolio, Minister for Agriculture,^[3] Minister for Transport and Communication and Minister for the Interior under Nkrumah.

Krobo Edusei with David Ben-Gurion in Tel Aviv

Early Years

Krobo Edusei was born on 26 December 1914 in the village of Ampabame, located in the Ashanti region. His father was Kwabena Edusei and his mother, Ama Darkowah.^[4]

After Nkrumah - PNP and Limann

Following the overthrow of Nkrumah's government, Edusei was imprisoned and subsequently released. He continued to be politically active and very influential as a senior member of the People's National Party (PNP), a party formed from the ashes of Nkrumaist CPP; and when the PNP went on to win Ghana's second (the first was won by Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia) post-Nkrumah elections, Edusei became a powerful figure in Hilla Limann's government. Following the 1981 overthrow of the Limann government, Edusei was again imprisoned, He was released in 1983 and died of complications from diabetes soon after.

Family

Krobo Edusei married three times and had numerous children who remain active in the Ghanaian business world. The more well known of his children include prominent millionaire Ghanaian businessman and ports operator, Yaw Krobo Edusei, Lucy Lamptey, former legal director of the Ghanaian government agency Social Security and National Insurance Trust, property entrepreneur and former Coca-Cola executive, Comfort Emden and Catherine Krobo Edusei, entrepreneur, owner and CEO of the Eden Tree brand.