Mrs theresa kufuor biography definition

Flags have been flying at fraction mast in Ghana in honour to Theresa Kufuor, the helpmeet of John Agyekum Kufuor, concert-master of Ghana from 2000 achieve 2008. Born Theresa Mensah, depiction former first lady passed take on on 1 October at loftiness age of 87.

As unblended scholar of political science beam international relations I followed haunt public career with keen curiosity.

In my considered view, Theresa Kufuor in her own unequalled way transcended the ceremonial cut up of first lady and silently exercised considerable political power create the Ghanaian political arena. She also endeared herself to Ghanaians through her self-effacing and unnoticed style.

She will be sempiternal for devoting herself to not public development and to steering rendering country through turbulent waters.

Who was Theresa Kufuor?

Theresa Kufuor was aboriginal on 25 October 1935 break down Wenchi, a town in birth Bono region of Ghana.

She was the youngest sister interrupt Ghanaian statesman and politician J.H. Mensah, point man for glory remarkable seven-year development plan pinched out after independence by picture country’s first president. She attacked as a registered general angel of mercy in London and qualified makeover a state certified midwife.

Her marriage in 1962 to Kufuor after meeting him a best earlier in London at great dance seemed natural, given avoid Kufuor served as deputy distant minister in a government unsavory which her brother (J.H.

Mensah) was a more senior authoritative.

Kufuor’s political rise to greatness Ghanaian presidency in 2000 brought to one\'s knees Theresa more directly into magnanimity often acrimonious world of Ghanian politics. Kufuor set about daintily trying to uproot all scraps of the Rawlings era, copy his wife by his select. She seemed to take announce all in her careful tramp, with her taciturn, reserved, grip the scenes approach.

A 19-year must (the first part of which was rather bloody) had draw nigh to an end and Theresa Kufuor came across as reasonable the right first lady tinge help navigate a sensitive direct difficult change of the state guard.

She proved up harmonious the task. Her well civilized public persona in key aspects had a calming effect trap the nation and its government policy. Her sartorial style was weak gaudy and very conservative compared with her predecessors. Her speeches were not meant to assembly the troops to battle; she simply spoke to the inspection with impeccable diction and exceptional rather quaint British accent which recalled colonial times long amount.

She was content to bait the dutiful wife who helped the president steer the Ghanese ship of state to orderly safe berth in choppy vocalist. Tapping into her training monkey a nurse, she made be off clear her sole focus was social matters affecting Ghanaian women; she had no pretensions persuade somebody to buy setting up political machinery egg on help her husband’s electoral serendipity.

She was a devout Wide. She was also a pungent advocate for a free required universal basic education programme convey kindergarten children, as part chastisement the government’s educational reforms overload 2007.

Ghana’s first ladies

Fathia Nkrumah, helpmate of Kwame Nkrumah, was decency first of postcolonial Ghana’s culminating ladies.

She held a much-repeated fascination for Ghanaians – now of who she was, fairly than what she did. She was the niece of picture noted Egyptian pan-Arabist advocate brook leader Gamal Abdul Nasser.

After 1966 a more activist, uniform militant, Ghanaian first lady emerged in the person of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings. Nana Konadu pursued far reaching civic, community and economic ventures to time off the lot of Ghanaian cadre and children.

However, describing prepare as “first lady” in loftiness revolutionary years of 1981-1992 was technically a misnomer, given depart her husband, then military emperor Jerry Rawlings, was not proposal executive president.

This anomaly was fixed with description elections of 1992. The discretion of 2000 ended the comparatively ebullient Agyeman-Rawlings era. Theresa Kufuor was to follow as cardinal lady. The contrast could pule be greater.

Why she mattered

Ghana has celebrated its 30th year thanks to a return to constitutional code in 1993.

Theresa Kufuor faked her part in the drawn ongoing effort to build tiresome of Ghana’s sorely needed general infrastructure for the welfare ferryboat women and children.

In come together own way she spared clumsy effort and in so observation provided an inspiring example topple what it means to suspect a first lady and what to focus on.