| Komla Agbeli Gbedemah | |
 |
|
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Minister for
Finance
|
|
|
In office 1954 – May 1961 |
|
| Succeeded by | Ferdinand Koblavi Dra Goka |
|---|---|
|
Founder and
Leader
National Alliance of Liberals |
|
|
In office 1969 – 1969 |
|
|
|
|
| Born | June 17, 1912 |
| Died | September 8, 1998 (aged 86) |
| Nationality |  Ghanaian |
| Political party | Convention People's
Party (1947-1961) National Alliance of Liberals-1969 |
Komla Agbeli Gbedemah (June 17, 1912 - ca. September 8, 1998) was a Ghanaian politician. He was also the Minister for Finance in the Nkrumah government from 1954 to 1961. He was popularly called "Afro Gbede".[1]
Contents |
Komla Gbedemah was originally with the United Gold Coast Convention. He left with Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to form the Convention People's Party (CPP). Gbedemah was an important member of the CPP because of his organizational ability.[2] He was influential in getting Nkrumah elected to the Legislative Council on February 8, 1951. He organized Nkrumah's entire campaign while he (Nkrumah) was still in prison, detained by the colonial government. Nkrumah duly won the Accra Central Municipal seat. This led to Nkrumah being released and his being invited to form a government.[3] Gbedemah who himself got elected into the Legislative Assembly, became the first Ghanaian minister for Health and Labour in Nkrumah's government. In 1954, he became the Finance minister, a position he held for 7 years. He was influential in getting an initially reluctant US government to back the building of the Akosombo Dam.[4] Later as his relationship with Nkrumah deteroriated, Gbedemah was demoted by him to Health minister in May 1961.[4] It is alleged by US sources that at a point, Gbedemah was considering the overthrow of Nkrumah. He is quoted as saying ``I would be sorry to have to do it but country has had enough of Nkrumah's arrogance, whims and madness." Nkrumah demanded Gbedemah's resignation in September 1961.[4] Gbedemah was forced into exile later the same year, after worsening relations between him and Nkrumah over what he perceived to be Nkrumah's financial indiscipline.[5][6] He is alleged to have fled as there were plans to place him under preventive detention. While in exile, he is known to have continued to lobby the US over the Akosombo dam project.[4]
Gbedemah formed and led the National Alliance of Liberals into the 1969 general election. His campaign slogan "Say it loud, I am black and proud!" was taken from the popular James Brown tune.[1] After the election, Gbedemah was barred from taking his seat in parliament. This followed a Supreme Court ruling, upholding the NLC barring members of the CPP accused of financial crimes from holding public office for ten years. This decision led him to retire from active involvement in politics.[7]
In the United States, he is most widely known from an October 10, 1957, incident when U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower apologized to him after he was refused service in a Howard Johnson's restaurant in Dover, Delaware.[8] He reportedly told the staff "The people here are of a lower social status than I am but they can drink here and we can't. You can keep the orange juice and the change, but this is not the last you have heard of this."[9]
For ministerial positions, see succession box.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by ? |
Minister for Health and Labour (Gold Coast) 1951 |
Succeeded by ? |
| Preceded by ? |
Minister for Commerce and Industry (Gold Coast) 1952 – 1954 |
Succeeded by ? |
| Preceded by ? |
Minister for Finance (Gold Coast then Ghana since 1957) 1954 – 1961 |
Succeeded by Ferdinand Koblavi Dra Goka |
| Preceded by ? |
Minister for Health 1961 |
Succeeded by ? |
| Party political offices | ||
| New title |
Founder and Leader National Alliance of Liberals 1969 |
Succeeded by ? |
|
|
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