Anthony Akoto Osei
Anthony Akoto Osei | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 April 1953 Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana |
| Died | 20 March 2023 (aged 69) |
| Occupation(s) | Economist, Politician |
| Years active | 1984–2023 |
| Known for | Minister of State for Finance and Economic Planning, Acting Minister of Finance, Member of Parliament for Old Tafo constituency |
Anthony Akoto Osei (18 April 1953 – 20 March 2023) was a distinguished Ghanaian economist and politician. He held key positions in President John Agyekum Kufuor's administration, including Minister of State for Finance and Economic Planning and subsequently Acting Minister of Finance. Osei also served as the parliamentary representative for the Old Tafo constituency in the Ashanti Region.
Early life and education
Born on 18 April 1953 in Kumasi, the capital city of the Ashanti Region, Osei completed his secondary schooling at both Achimota School and Opoku Ware Senior High School. He pursued higher education in the United States, obtaining a Bachelor's degree in economics from Oberlin College in Ohio. He further advanced his studies by earning a Master of Arts in applied economics from American University and later completed a PhD in economics at Howard University in 1987.
Career
With a professional background in economics, Osei joined Merchant Bank (Ghana) Ltd's management board on 27 March 2002. Prior to this, he held academic positions including associate professorship at Dillard University in the United States and worked as a research assistant at Ghana’s Centre for Policy Analysis.
Deputy Finance Minister
In May 2003, Osei was appointed Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, where he also served as an economic advisor to the government. After the passing of Finance Minister Kwadwo Baah Wiredu, Osei assumed the role of Acting Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, maintaining this post until 6 January 2009 when the New Patriotic Party transitioned power to the National Democratic Congress following the 2008 elections.
Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation
In February 2017, President Nana Akufo-Addo nominated Osei to lead the newly created Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation, responsible for tracking government policy execution and assessing progress. Following parliamentary approval, he was officially sworn into this strategic ministerial role.
Cabinet Minister
By May 2017, President Nana Akufo-Addo included Anthony Akoto Osei among his cabinet members, one of nineteen ministers forming the core executive team. These appointments were presented to the Parliament of Ghana and announced by Speaker Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye. As a cabinet member, Osei contributed directly to high-level national policy formulation and decision-making processes.
Other positions held
Throughout his career, Osei served as a consultant for the World Bank (Korean Division) in 1987 and was an associate professor of economics at Howard University from 1984 to 1995. His governmental roles encompassed Special Advisor to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (2001–2003), Deputy Minister of Finance (2003–2007), Minister of State (2007–2008), Acting Minister of Finance (September 2008 – January 2009), and Member of Parliament for Old Tafo-Pankrono/Old Tafo between 2005 and 2017.
Elections
Osei secured his first parliamentary seat representing the Old Tafo constituency during the 2004 general elections under the New Patriotic Party banner. His constituency contributed to the party’s dominant performance in the Ashanti Region, where it won 36 out of 39 seats, aiding the NPP's overall majority with 128 out of 230 parliamentary seats. He achieved 34,957 votes (79.4%), surpassing candidates from the National Democratic Congress (Ghana), Convention People's Party, and an independent contender.
In the subsequent 2008 elections, Osei retained his seat with a total of 36,171 votes (76.18%), as part of NPP’s continued hold on 34 seats within Ashanti Region despite holding a minority with 109 seats nationally. His challengers included representatives from the People's National Convention, National Democratic Congress, Convention People's Party, and Reformed Patriotic Democrats.
Osei was re-elected once more in 2012 with a vote count of 43,561 (75.79%), defeating candidates from the National Democratic Congress, People's National Convention, and Convention People's Party.
Personal life and death
Osei practiced Catholicism and was married, fathering three children. He passed away on 20 March 2023 at the age of 69.