Ghana's Parliament pays glowing tribute to J.H. Mensah in unison

Both the Minority and Majority in Ghana's Parliament on Thursday took turns on the floor of parliament to pay glowing tribute to the late statesman JH Mensah who died early hours of thursday, July 12, 2018, died at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.

Through the respective leaders of the legislators, they described the late former Senior Minister J.H. Mensah as a true statesman who has contributed his quota to both the political and economic development of Ghana.

The Majority Leader said J.H. Mensah was an inspiration they all looked up to. 

He recounted his  service to the nation right from the days of Kwame Nkrumah all through to the time he became the Minority Leader in Parliament.

“He toiled and overreached himself to help build Ghana and not build himself, may the Almighty God be kind to him and grant him eternal rest”, he concluded his tribute.

Minority Leader, Haruna Iddirusu, for his part, said, Ghana is justified to be in grief following the demise of J.H. Mensah considering his contribution to the development of the country.

“He was an exceptionally and profoundly brilliant economist, one of few gifted with God’s of thinking. He was an exceptionally and profoundly brilliant economist… He’s made significant contributions to the economic and political development of our country.

“He served this country in very diverse capacity. He was an inspiration to many of us in this house.  He was very academic and his papers were well researched”, he observed.

Other members of the house also had the opportunity to share a few words of commiseration and to eulogise the late politician and statesman.

Joseph Henry Mensah was a Ghanaian politician and economist.

Mensah attended the University of the Gold Coast, now University of Ghana, between 1948 and 1954. 

He then headed to University of London then Stanford University, where he earned both a bachelor's and master's degree with a specialization in economic theory and development. 

In 1954, Mensah became a Research Fellow in Economics at the University of Ghana, which lasted until 1958.

Beginning in 1974, Mensah worked in the private sector both in Ghana and abroad. 

He was imprisoned by the National Redemption Council from 1975 to 1978. 

Although banned from political activity in 1979, he was active for the Popular Front Party in the 1979 elections. 

He also served as Chairman of the Sunyani District Council in Brong-Ahafo Region (1979–1981), and proprietor of Banka Farms. 

Exiled in England, in 1983 he headed a group opposing the PNDC.[4] He also served on the African Advisory Council of the African Development Bank from 1993 to 1997. 

In December 1996, Mensah contested a parliamentary seat in Sunyani East District as a member of the New Patriotic Party, which he won. He was re-elected in 2000. Prior to John Kufuor's election in 2001, Mensah was the minority leader in Parliament

He became the Senior Minister under the John Kufuor-led government and was the first to take up that controversial portfolio created in 2005, now occupied by former Finance Minister Yaw Osafo-Maafo.

Born in October 1928 in Sekondi in the Western Region, Mr. JH Mensah died at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.

Portions of this article was culled from Wikip

Compiled by Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO


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