Solomon Antwi Kwaku Bonsu

Samuel Antwi Kwaku Bonsu also known by the name Solomon Antwi Kwaku Bonsu was a Ghanaian politician in the first republic. He was the Minister of Co-operatives and later Minister of Pensions and National Insurance. He was also the member of parliament for the Sekyere West constituency from 1959 to 1965 and the member of parliament for the Adotobri constituency from 1965 to 1966.

Samuel Antwi Kwaku Bonsu
Minister of Pensions and National Insurance
In office
July 1965 – February 1966
PresidentDr Kwame Nkrumah
Preceded byA. K. Onwona-Agyemang
Succeeded byMinistry abolished
Minister of Co-operatives
In office
January 1965 – July 1965
PresidentDr. Kwame Nkrumah
Preceded byNew
Succeeded byBaffour Kwabena Senkyire[1]
Member of Parliament
for Adotobri
In office
June 1965 – February 1966
Preceded byNew
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
Member of Parliament
for Sekyere West
In office
12 June 1959 – June 1965
Preceded byR. R. Amponsah
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
Personal details
Born
Solomon Antwi Kwaku Bonsu

(1921-11-01)1 November 1921
CitizenshipGhanaian
Alma materPresbyterian College of Education, Akropong

Early life and education

Bonsu was born on 21 November 1921 at Asante Mampong in the Ashanti Region.[2] After completing his Standard Seven, he entered the Presbyterian College of Education, Akropong (then the Presbyterian Training Colloge, Akropong) where he obtained his Teachers' Certificate 'A'.[2] He later continued at the Theological Seminary at Akropong graduating in 1941.[2] In 1954 he studied to obtain his GCE Advanced Level certificate prior to proceeding to the United Kingdom to study law at the Middle Temple, London.[3] He was called to the bar as a barrister-at-law in 1957.[3]

Career and politics

Bonsu begun as a teacher at the Kumasi Presbyterian Middle School before joining the Kumasi branch of U. T. C. as a Departmental Store Manager.[3]

Bonsu became a private legal pracitioner in 1959, and on 12 June that same year, he was sworn into office as the member parliament for the Sekyere West constituency.[4] This was as a result of the seat being vacant due to a law in parliament at the time that deprived members of parliament of their seat if they were unable to be present in parliament for ten (10) consecutive days.[5] The former occupant of the seat; R. R. Amponsah fell victim to this fate as he was detained while being trialled at the time for allegedly plotting with M. K. Apaloo to overthrow Nkrumah.[5] He was appointed deputy minister for Justice in 1960[6][7] and a year later, he was appointed Chief of State Protocol for the Queen when she visited Ghana.[3] Bonsu served as the deputy minister for Justice from 1960 to January 1965 when he was appointed Minister of Co-operatives by the then president Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.[3][8] In June that same year, he was moved to head the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance.[9] A month later, he was made member of parliament for the Adotobri constituency.[10] He served in these capacities in the Nkrumah government until Nkrumah was overthrown in February 1966.

See also

References
  1. "Parliamentary Debates; Official Report, Part 2". Parliamentary Debates. Ghana National Assembly: ii. 1965.
  2. "Ghana Year Book 1966". Ghana Year Book. Graphic Corporation: 12. 1966.
  3. "Ghana Year Book 1966". Ghana Year Book. Graphic Corporation: 12. 1966.
  4. "Parliamentary Debates; Official Report, Part 2". Parliamentary Debates. Ghana National Assembly: 94. 1958.
  5. Asamoah, Obed (2014). The Political History of Ghana (1950–2013): The Experience of a Non-Conformist. p. 50. ISBN 9781496985637.
  6. United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Appropriations (1967). "Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1968: Hearings Before the Subcommittee... Ninetieth Congress, First Session on H.R. 10345". U.S. Government Printing Office: 194. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. "The Parliamentarian, Volumes 41–42". The Parliamentarian; Journal of the Parliaments of the Commonwealth. Ghana National Assembly: 343. 1960.
  8. Daily Report, Foreign Radio Broadcasts, Issues 15–16 (Report). United States. Central Intelligence Agency. 1965. p. I 1.
  9. "Parliamentary Debates; Official Report, Part 2". Parliamentary Debates. Ghana National Assembly: ii. 1965.
  10. "Parliamentary Debates; Official Report, Part 2". Parliamentary Debates. Ghana National Assembly: iv. 1965.
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