Issifu Ali

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Issifu Ali
Minister for Works and Housing
In office
1966 – April 1969
Appointed byJoseph Arthur Ankrah
Preceded byIbrahim Mahama
Succeeded byE. A. Yeboah
Minister for Information
In office
1969 – August 1969
Preceded byIbrahim Mahama
Succeeded byT. D. Brodie-Mends
Personal details
Born(1929-05-21)21 May 1929
Wa, Gold Coast
Died9 April 2019
Accra
NationalityGhanaian
Political partyNational Democratic Congress
Children4
Alma mater

Alhaji Issifu Ali (born 21 May 1929 – 9 April 2019)[1][2] was a Ghanaian politician and former co-chairman of the National Democratic Congress.[3] He served as Commissioner for Works and Housing from 1966 to April 1969[1] and Commissioner for Information in 1969.[4]

Early life and education[edit]

Ali is an indigene of Wa in the Upper West region of Ghana. He was born on 21 May 1929[1][5] at Enchi in the Western region of Ghana. He had his early education from 1937 to 1941 at Wa. He studied at the Tamale Teacher training college for four years. And he furthered his education at St. Andrews University in Scotland where he graduated with a master's degree in Political Economy and Modern History from 1955 to 1958. He took a further course in Accounting and was conferred with Associate Chartered Accountant (A.C.A) England and Wales and Associate of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries (A.C.I.S.).[1]

Career[edit]

Ali returned from the United Kingdom to Ghana and worked at the Casselton and Elliot group of Company which was a group of Chartered Accountants in Accra. Later, he resigned after two years, to take on the post of Chief Accountant at the Agricultural Credit and Co-operative Bank now Agricultural Development Bank, from September 1965 until his appointment as commissioner. Ali was a board member of the Trustees for the Center for Civic Education now the National Commission for Civic Education and the Executive council for the Society for the Blind Ghana.[1]

Politics[edit]

In 1966, Ali was appointed commissioner for Works and Housing.[1] He was also appointed commissioner for information now Ministry of Information in 1968.[4][6] On 1 August 1969, he quit his position as Commissioner of Information to engage in Politics. He stated, he together with his colleagues of the National Liberation Council decided not to be executive members of the council while they still held on to their posts as commissioners of state.[7] Ali was one of the first co-chairmen of the National Democratic Congress.[3][2]

Personal life[edit]

Ali's interests includes; reading, debating and swimming. He enjoyed playing tennis as well, he was married with four children.[1] Ali was an Ahmadi.[8]

Death[edit]

Ali was a member of the council of elders of the National Democratic Congress before his death. He died on 9 April 2019 at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital after a short illness. He was buried at the Kasoa Ahmadiya Muslim cemetery.[2]

Former President of Ghana, Jerry John Rawlings the founder of the National Democratic Congress, paid tribute to Ali who is a former Chairman of the Party. Jerry John Rawlings said "People like him (Issifu Ali) will have a red-carpet treatment in heaven. Ali was a man of integrity. Let’s not allow people of integrity and moral authority to fade out."[8]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Ocran, J. K. (6 August 1967). Sunday Mirror: Issue 730, August 6 1967. Graphic Communications Group.
  2. ^ a b c "NDC mourns former co-chairman Alhaji Ussifu Ali". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 11 April 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Chronology for Ewe in Ghana". University of Maryland. Archived from the original on 21 November 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  4. ^ a b Service, British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring (1969). Summary of World Broadcasts: Non-Arab Africa.
  5. ^ Towards Civil Rule in Ghana. State Publishing Corporation. 1968.
  6. ^ Politicians and Soldiers in Ghana 1966-1972. 1975. p. 91.
  7. ^ Ofori, Henry (31 July 1969). Daily Graphic: Issue 5,857 July 31 1969. Graphic Communications Group.
  8. ^ a b "Issifu Ali was a man of integrity – Rawlings mourns". www.ghanaweb.com. 11 April 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2021.