Former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly known as Sir John, is dead, The BBC Ghana reports.
The CEO of the Forestry Commission, died in Accra on Wednesday 1st July 2020 after a short illness.
Below is a brief biography of the former NPP’s General Secretary.
Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (popularly known as Sir John) was a Ghanaian lawyer and politician who comes from Sakora Wonoo, Kwabre District off Mampong District.
The lawyer who was widely known for the famous “Fear Delegates” slogan, held several political positions including serving as general secretary of the New Patriotic Party. Before his death, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Forestry Commission.
The late Kojo Afriyie was born in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. He attended Seventh Day Adventist Secondary School in Bekwai from where he obtained his GCE Ordinary level certificate.
The affable but staunch NPP member proceeded to obtain his GCE Advanced level certificate from Konongo Odumase Secondary School in Konongo.
Mr Kojo Afriyie was admitted to study political science at the University of Ghana. He then enrolled at the Ghana School of Law where he graduated with Bachelor of Laws. After this, he was admitted as a solicitor and counsel for the Supreme Court of Ghana.
He entered into private law practice in 1981. During the John Agyekum Kufour administration, he was appointed head of legal services at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation. He was later made to act as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the corporation.
While managing his firm, Afriyie was also actively engaged in Ghanaian politics. He served as the general secretary of the New Patriotic Party from 2010 to 2014.
He lost his bid to secure a second term to Kwabena Agyapong who is currently suspended by the NPP Party.
In May 2017, while serving as the CEO of the Forestry Commission, he publicly declared that he would contest the New Patriotic Party’s general secretary elections if there was an overwhelming call for him to do so.
In March 2017, President Nana Akuffo-Addo appointed Afriyie as CEO of the Forestry Commission. He replaced Samuel Afari Dartey, whose term as the CEO had ended.
Source: TheBBCghana.Com
