Francis Yao Asare Explained

Francis Yao Asare
Office1:Volta Regional Minister
Term Start1:1 July 1960
Term End1:1961
President1:Dr. Kwame Nkrumah
Predecessor1:Ferdinand Koblavi Dra Goka
Successor1:Hans Kofi Boni
Office2:Minister for Food and Agriculture[1]
Term Start2:1957
Term End2:1960
President2:Dr. Kwame Nkrumah
Predecessor2:Kojo Botsio
Successor2:Boahene Yeboah-Afari
Office3:Minister of Labour, Co-operatives and Social Welfare
Term Start3:1957
Term End3:1957
Office5:Member of Parliament for Buem[2]
Term Start5:1951
Term End5:1965
President5:Kwame Nkrumah
Predecessor5:Eric Kwame Heymann
Birth Date:1915?
Birth Name:Francis Yao Asare
Birth Place:Borada, Southern Togoland
Death Date:7 January 2004
Citizenship:Ghanaian
Alma Mater:Mfantsipim School

Francis Yao Asare was a Ghanaian pharmacist and politician. He served on various ministerial portfolios and served as a member of parliament for the Buem constituency during the first republic.

Early life and education

Francis was born in Baroda in Southern Togoland. He was educated at Presbyterian School in Anum Mfantsipim School in Cape Coast.[3]

Career and politics

He trained as a druggist at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and worked as a pharmacist for the Ghana Civil Service from 1940 to 1947. He served on Buem Krachi Native Authority, Southern Togoland Council and was elected to the Legislative Assembly representing Buem in 1951.[4] [5] That same year, he was appointed Ministerial Secretary (deputy minister) for the Ministry of Housing.[6] He was later appointed Minister of Labour, Co-operatives and Social Welfare and acting Minister for Communications. In 1957 he was appointed Minister for Food and Agriculture.[7] He worked in that capacity until June 1960. On 1 July 1960 he was appointed Commissioner (Regional Minister) for the Volta Region. He served in this capacity until 1961. He later became Chairman of the National Food and Nutrition Board.[3] [8] He was re-elected to represent the Buem constituency in subsequent years until 1965 when he was sentenced to twenty-one years imprisonment on charges of the defrauding the government an amount of over £1 million.[9] [10] After the overthrow of the Nkrumah government Francis went into fishing and was made president of the National Inshore Boat Owners Association.[8]

Death

Francis died on 7 January 2004 at the age of 88. He was buried in his hometown; Buem.[8]

Notes and References

  1. The British Commonwealth Year Book . MacGibbon and Kee . 214 . 1953.
  2. Parliamentary Debates; National Assembly Official Report . 1961 . Accra, Government printing department.
  3. The International Who's Who . Europa publishers . 37 . 1961.
  4. Ghana Year Book 1964. Daily Graphic . 27 . 1964.
  5. Parliamentary Debates; Official Report, part 1 . Ghana National Assembly . 1963 . 1028.
  6. Debates . Gold Coast Legislative Assembly . 1956.
  7. Ghana Today, Volumes 1–2 . Information Section, Ghana Office . 3 . 1957.
  8. Ghanaweb,"Ghana Minister buried", Ghanaweb, 29 March 2004.
  9. Africa Digest, Volume 13–14 . Africa Publications Trust . 16 . 1965.
  10. Book: Asamoah, Obed . Obed Asamoah

    . Obed Asamoah . 2014 . The Political History of Ghana (1950–2013): The Experience of a Non-Conformist . 66. 9781496985637 .